Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 23: In a meeting held today under the chairmanship of TS Wazir, president of all Commercial Transport Association including buses, tankers, trucks, matadors, taxies and auto-rickshaws, transporters of J&K today discussed their demands.
During the meeting, the speakers said that continuous lockdown caused by COVID-19 since March 20 had massive impact on the transporters, drivers/conductors and allied workers due to which all commercial vehicles have been taken off the roads.
“We had already submitted a memorandum of demands to Central Government as well as UT Government such as 50% hike in passenger fare, waiving off passenger tax and toll plaza in UT, waiving off Lorry Adda fee, parking places for matadors/auto-rickshaws, withdrawal of OLA & Uber taxies, relaxation of parking fees at Railway Station and Airport, waiving off interest, insurance, fees/taxes etc for the period of six months,” they said.
The transporters said that as Government of J&K today announced 30% hike in passenger fare to compensate the losses till the restriction remains imposed on the sitting capacity in view of COVID-19, all public transport vehicles shall ply on roads from tomorrow.
Expressing hope that their other pending demands shall be fulfilled by the Government very soon, they sought intervention of Lt Governor G C Murmu and urged him to call a high level meeting of Transport Department to solve other burning issues of the transporters without any delay. They also demanded to provide an adequate financial relief in favour of transporters/needy persons to run their lives smoothly.