No passenger vehicle to ply from Jammu to Katra, Udh, Srinagar & vice versa today

*TWA warns ‘Chakajam’ on Apr 13 Excelsior Correspondent [caption id="attachment_272983" align="alignleft" width="300"] TS Wazir interacting with media persons at Jammu on Wednesday. — Excelsior/Rakesh[/caption] JAMMU, Apr 8: "No passenger vehicle will ply from Jammu to Katra, Udhampur and Srinagar routes and vice-versa tomorrow. Not only this, the passenger vehicles of Kathua district, which are also bound to cross the Bantalab toll plaza will also remains off the roads tomorrow". This was stated by Chairman, All J&K Transport Welfare Association, TS Wazir during a press conference here today. He was accompanied by presidents and representatives of various Passenger Transport Associations of J&K. Wazir further stated that if the Government and NHAI will not withdraw decision of collecting toll tax from local passenger vehicles of J&K at Toll Plaza, Bantalab, Nagrota, then transporters will observe complete strike (Chakajam) of all passenger vehicles across J&K on April 13. “No passenger vehicles including mini-buses, auto, taxi, buses, maxi cabs will ply from Lakhanpur to Srinagar on April 13 and for any inconvenience to the general public, students, pilgrims and tourists, the State and Central Governments will be responsible", he disclosed. He further stated that NHAI is collecting toll tax at Bantalab, Nagrota at the rate of Rs 375 per bus/truck per trip, Rs 200 per mini-bus per trip and Rs 125 per taxi per trip, which is totally injustice with the transporters, general public, tourists and the pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra. "Transporters are already reeling under huge losses due to operation of trains and DMU from Jammu to Katra/ Udhampur, flash floods in September last year, recent incessant rains, disturbance on LoC due to which they cannot deposit their fees/taxes and loans which they have borrowed from different banks and institutions", Wazir said, adding that imposition of toll tax at Bantalab Toll Plaza has added woes to their already imbalanced life. He further disclosed that they approached various times to the State Government, NHAI and Transport Commissioner J&K for withdrawal of the said toll tax, but nothing has been done till date despite assurance by the Transport Commissioner of not collecting the toll tax from the passenger vehicles at Bantalab Toll Plaza as it could not be included in the cost of operation of passenger fair. Wazir requested the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to intervene into the matter and give directions to the concerned authorities for withdrawal of the decision of collecting toll tax from the local passenger vehicles of the State at Bantalab Toll Plaza.