The daily commuters and general public is bound to suffer on May 6 as the city buses in State capital would be off the roads. The Dehradun city bus association has given a strike call on the day in protest against the apathetic attitude of the transport department which in gross violation of norms and orders of Uttarakhand High Court (HC) is allowing the contract carriage vehicles to pick retail passengers on the city routes.
Addressing newsmen the President of the association, Vijay Vardhan Dandariyal said that Uttarakhand HC in its order dated May 27, 2014 had clearly directed that the contract carriage vehicle like Vikrams and Tata Magics should not be allowed to pick and drop passengers from places like bus stops, railway station and other city routes.
The HC had stated that these vehicles can only transport people who have booked them. He said that the Garhwal Commissioner on November 07, 2015 too directed a blanket ban on illegal practices of Vikrams.
Dandariyal informed that a delegation of the association met the Governor of Uttarakhand K K Paul on April 11 and apprised him the situation on which the Governor directed the authorities concerned to take action. He lamented that officers of the transport department are not paying any heed to the orders of HC, Governor and Garhwal commissioner and the Vikrams are continuing to flout the rules openly.
Dandariyal said that the association is planning to file defamation in HC over the issue.