Lakhs of trucks and other goods carriage vehicles in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra will go on indefinite strike to oppose the e-challan system for traffic violations, and other demands from Tuesday midnight, transporters said.
The operators of buses, including those involved in ferrying school children, however, announced they would postpone their participation in the strike at the request of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said the warkaris (Lord Vitthal devotees) would face inconvenience as Ashadi Ekadashi is just around the corner.
Taking cognizance of the transporters’ strike, the state government set up a 10-member committee led by transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar to look into the issue.
The Vahatukdar Bachao Kruti Sanghatana, an action committee of the transporters’ associations in the state, said the indefinite strike will begin from midnight as the transporters are frustrated with the e-challans and harassment by the enforcement agencies for recovery of e-challans.
As many as 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh trucks and other goods-carrying vehicles in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra will go on strike after midnight,” said Uday Barge, convener of the action committee.
However, he made it clear that the transportation of essential items, including milk, vegetables, and medicines, has been kept out of the strike’s purview.
Barge further said that the All India Motor Transport Congress, the apex body of transporters in the country, has supported the strike along with the Maharashtra Rajya Truck Tempo Tanker Bus Vahatuk Mahasangh, the All India Bulk LPG Transporter Association, and the Navi Mumbai Transport Association, along with many other transport bodies.
He said that the government did not invite them for any meeting on Tuesday.