Hyderabad: As many as 25,000 RTC drivers, 24,000 conductors, 1,000 autorichshaw drivers and 500 cab drivers participated in an All-India Transportation Bandh on Tuesday in Telangana state. The strike was held against the Centre’s Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill. It was approved by the Lok Sabha in 2017 and is waiting for approval in the Rajya Sabha.
The unions demanded withdrawal of amendments in Motor Vehicles Act and urged to decrease the prices of petrol and diesel and bring them into GST slab. They also urged to reduce third party insurance. The bandh call was given on August 7 by All- India Coordination Committee of Road Transport Workers’ Organisations comprising various public transport workers’ federations and unions, along with Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
A huge rally was conducted from Sundaraya Vignana Kendram, Bahlingampally to Himayathnagar AITUC by autos, cabs and school vans.
Thousands of RTC drivers, conductors, auto drivers, cab drivers and school van drivers participated in the rally.
The Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill has provisions that opens up the public transport sector for private players and also control and regulate permits and taxation. It also aims to create National Transportation Policy within the ambit of a National Act, giving power to the Centre.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had proposed various reforms in the transportation sector through the MV Amendment Bill to improve road safety and reduce congestion.
The Bill proposed introducing Section 66A for creation of a National Transportation Policy in consultation with the states for which a consultative mechanism would be put in place.
The transport unions alleged that the Bill will also lead to mass-scale victimisation of road transport workers engaged in both public transport and goods transport, including small transport operators.A. Sathi Reddy, Telangana Transport Joint Action Committee Member said: “We successfully held a bandh today but if the Bill is passed by the Central Government, we will continue the bandh and this time, the protest will be much bigger than today. We strongly demand the withdrawal of amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act”.
“We also demand toll-free movement on highways and a reduction in third-party insurance premium paid through exemption of GST on TPP. One of our main demands is to control rising prices of fuel. We demand pension schemes to all transport drivers. The government should also provide loans to auto drivers through Mudra scheme,” Sathi Reddy said.
Dr Sanjeeva Reddy, Ex MP and president of All-India INTUC said: “I condemn the public transport expansion and Safety Bill amendment and supported the bandh call given by the All- India Motor Transport workers for a one-day strike on August 7, 2018 throughout the country. Hence, I urge the Central Government to stop the amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act’’.
Dr Reddy further said that they aim to protect the rights of workers, particularly the drivers.
