Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: The transporters from entire J&K State have decided to go on complete `Chakka Jam’ strike from Lakhanpur to Leh – Ladakh on June 12 in protest against non-issuance of fitness certificates to the commercial vehicles by the State Transport Department.
Addressing a press conference here today, chairman of All J&K Transport Welfare Association, T S Wazir said that Transporters’ bodies from Kashmir and Ladakh have also decided to join the strike on June 12 and no commercial vehicle including buses, mini-buses, trucks/ load carriers, oil tankers, Tempo Travellers, Sumos/ Taxis, autorikshaws etc will ply on the roads on this day.
He said Transport Department earlier few years ago, forced the people to install high security number plates and speed governor’s on the vehicles. The people followed the instructions and installed the same. Two trucks and three taxis went missing from Jammu some time back. Despite having high-security chip based number plates installed on the vehicles, the authorities failed to trace the vehicles. It means there is no monitoring system with the concerned authorities. Only some private companies are roped in to install their systems costing Rs 5000 to Rs 8000 for the own interests of some key officials while there is no benefit at all to the public/ transporters.
Now, all the RTOs and ARTOs have stopped issuing fitness certificates to the commercial vehicles. For the last 15 days, this process has been stopped. The transporters/ operators are being forced to install vehicle tracking devices and panic buttons in all the commercial vehicles. The system costs around Rs 15,000. There will be no benefit at all to the operators/ transporters because there will be no monitoring of the systems in the absence of a much needed Control Room. Wazir said Transport department have roped in 2-3 firms for the installation of these devices. There may be personal benefit to some top officers in the department, but transporters will not be benefitted if there is no monitoring system.
Wazir said Association had meeting with the Advisor in presence of Transport Commissioner and other top officers on April 25 this year wherein, Advisor had assured to give some reasonable time to the transporters till the control room is set up but now, the officers have started harassing the operators/ transporters. He said that under such circumstances, the transporters have been left with the only option to go for one day strike in the beginning and if the Govt remains adamant, transporters will go for indefinite strike in the State and Governor’s Administration will be responsible for any inconvenience caused to the general public, tourists and pilgrims.
He said Transport Association sought time from Governor’s office four times for a meeting since his taking over charge of J&K but unfortunately, no meeting time has been granted to the transporters body which is generating revenue worth hundreds of crores for the State.
Meanwhile, General Secretary Kashmir Transporters Welfare Association Sheikh Muhammd Yusuf said that heavy toll charges of Rs 285 for a bus on National Highway is a burden as the transport sector is suffering huge losses in the Valley and now administration wants us to install hi-tech gadgets in our vehicles which costs almost Rs 20,000.
He said that the transporters have decided to go for a day long token strike and that if demands are not met they will intensify the stir and go for indefinite chakka-jam strike.
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