Transport strike fails to disrupt supply of essentials

The mahasangh, a coalition of state transport unions, had gone on strike to protest against the alleged harassment by the state Transport Department while enforcing the Bombay High Court’s directives on pollution. “We are left with no alternative, the Transport Department has made out 15,000 cases against commercial vehicles,” Ghura said.

But Transport Commissioner Vinay Mohan Lal said his department was strictly following the court’s directives.

The transport union, the largest in the state, accused the state government of not requesting the high court to withdraw the fine of Rs 1,000 on polluting vehicles, suspension of vehicles for 15 days and cancellation of registration. No action had been taken by the government on the withdrawal of toll tax booths.

The Transport Department had already issued circulars to the union proposing to take action against them for resorting to the strike. Lal said most of these issues had been discussed earlier and claimed that many of them had been resolved.

The government had spread out the burden of toll on the fuel cess. Asking the government to approach the HC to withdraw the fine was both impractical and unusual request. The state government was fully prepared to handle the strike, he said.