Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, July 24: Demanding immediate removal of vintage clause imposed to civil transports for operation of Civil Hired Transport (CHT) contract with the army in Ladakh region, transporters of Leh and Kargil under the banner of All Ladakh Transport Association (ALTA) took out a protest rally here today.
Holding banner and ply cards, the rally led by ALTA Chairman Dorjay Angchuk met the Deputy Commissioner Leh Avny Lavasa and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister.
They also called on the CEC LAHDC Leh Dorjay Motup and apprised him of the problems being faced by transporters of Leh.
CEC and DC both gave patient hearing and assured to take up the issue with concerned higher authorities, ALTA Chairman Dorjay Angchuk told media.
Transporters alleged that the vintage clause has been causing irreparable losses to the transporters community of Leh and Kargil. “The vintage clause restricts vehicles from plying on road beyond six years in case of light vehicles, ten years in case of buses and 12 years in case of load carriers. We want the vintage clause to be removed from the agreement,” the memorandum reads. It added that Government of Jammu and Kashmir legally allows plying of vehicles on road up to 25 years under Jammu and Kashmir Motor Vehicle Act.
Talking about the problems of transport community, President Ladakh Transport Cooperative Society Mohammad Shafi Lasu cautioned the army and the district administration that if transporters issue is not resolved within few days, they would call for an indefinite strike throughout Ladakh region.
Transporters sought for a permanent waiver of said vintage as they argued that buses, trucks and taxis in Ladakh are on the road only for 120 days a year on an average, whereas in the plains transport vehicles remain on road for 365 days. The transporters claimed that vehicles plying in Ladakh have longer life due to dry atmosphere and non-existence of humidity round the year.
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