Panipat: Pvt buses stay off roads over provisions in hit-&-run law

Panipat, January 1

Passengers had to face a lot of problems on the first day of the year as private buses stayed off roads across the state to protest the increase in jail terms in ‘hit-and-run’ cases.

Staff of 70% buses on strike

About 2K buses of cooperative societies and stage carriages run on highways in the state, of which 70 per cent, i.e. around 1,400 buses, stayed off roads as the staff were on strike. Dalbir Mor, state president, transport societies bus welfare association

Private bus operators reached bus stands and raised slogans against the government. They demanded the rollback of the new law related to such cases. The truck operators, too, went on strike today. Several routes were affected due to the strike. People had to wait for a long time for buses at the Sonepat and Gohana bus stands amid the biting cold.

In Panipat, of 35 buses under cooperative societies, 17 stayed off roads. People faced a lot of inconvenience on the Panipat-Jind route as around 45 buses of these districts did not ply on roads.

In Sonepat, private bus operators on strike said it was unjustified that under the new law, 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 7 lakh would be imposed upon an erring driver.

Dalbir Mor, state president, Transport Societies Bus Welfare Association, said as many as 2,000 buses of cooperative societies and stage carriages are run on all state and national highways in the state, of which around 70 per cent buses i.e. around 1,400 buses stayed off roads as the staff went on strike today.

In Faridabad, drivers of almost 40 to 45 per cent of the total 80,000 trucks in the district remained off duty. Subhash Kaushik, General Secretary, All Faridabad Transporters Association (AFTA), the association and its parent body, All-India Motor Transport Congress, had taken up the issue with the Union Government as the new rule would lead to unnecessary prosecution and harassment of drivers.

In Jhajjar, truck drivers and private bus operators also went on strike. Mangal Gulia, president, truck union, said if the new law was not rolled back, they would go on indefinite strike. They would submit a memorandum on January 3.

In Hisar, protesting private bus operators announced to submit a memorandum over the issue to the DC tomorrow. Yadwender Phogat, pradhan of the Cooperative Society Bus Association in Hisar, said their strike would continue till the government accepts their demands.

Employees of Roadways

to protest tomorrow

Sonepat: On the call of the joint action committee of the Haryana Roadways Employees Associations and Drivers Association, employees decided to stage a protest from 11 am to 1 pm on January 3 at the bus stand. Sanjeev Kumar and Ashok Kumar said if their demands were not fulfilled, the movement would be intensified.