news details |
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| Transport strike | | | early times report
JAMMU, Dec 27: Ongoing standoff between the members of the transporters association and the state government authorities over hike of passenger tax today posed great hardships to large number of users of public transport system on account of day long strike.
Since morning the office goers, school children and local residents faced numerous hardships as minibuses, long route buses and even auto rickshaws remained off the roads due to strike call given by the J&K Transporters association.
The worst sufferers were passengers and tourists as they failed to get transport to reach their destinations.
Huge rush of pilgrims arriving here to perform darshan at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and visit other religious places were finding themselves in catch 22 situation as no help was coming their way. The scene at the airport was similar with passengers facing the spectre of walking on foot with luggage in tow.
The scene at the bus terminal of the JKTDC at Railway station resembled fish market as very less number of buses were deployed to ferry passengers to their destinations.
In some cases the passengers used horse carts to transport their luggage to their hotel rooms and in some cases the passengers were seen jostling for seat in the SRTC buses. The attendants of patients admitted in different hospitals also faced difficulties in reaching there in time in the absence of passenger transport facility.
The state government authorities claimed to have deployed large number of buses to cater to the demand of the passenger but on the ground they proved to be insufficient.
The transporters association had called the strike to put pressure on the state government to review their decision of hike of passenger tax and booking of cases against the drivers for negligent driving under section 307 of RPC.
"Entire private transport is on strike in Jammu region. We are demanding scrapping of passenger tax and cases registered against drivers in connection with accidents under section 307 of Ranbir Panel Code (attempt to murder)," Spokesman of the Association Vijay Kumar told reporters here. ''We are already facing so many difficulties besides day by day rising rates of petro products. We want state government to act and fulfill our demands. They are against the interests of transport industry," he said.
As per the officials of the state transport department, the passenger tax is meant to provide immediate compensation of Rs one lakh to the passengers killed in road accidents and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Due to rash driving, overloading and violation of rules there are an increase in the number of the accidents, deaths and injuries following which the state government has decided to slap section 307 RPC (attempt to murder) against drivers of buses and private cars, they said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the state Government has revised the passenger tax in respect of different types of vehicles. As per the new schedule, the lump sum determined for Taxi motor cycle, rickshaws, tempos and other three wheeled vehicles including scooters will be Rs. 300 per annum, for taxi cars and Station Wagons with seating capacity upto five passengers Rs.1000, for Right motor vehicles plied as taxis with seating capacity of above five passengers Rs.2000,for deluxe/super deluxe/video coaches, Rs 800 per seat for all types of buses other than Deluxe/super deluxe and video coaches, Rs 300 and for all types of mini buses will be Rs. 2000 per annum. This order shall come into force from 1st January, 2011. |
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