The indefinite strike of the auto-rickshaws and private town buses came to an end on the first day itself after assurance from the administration. The indefinite stir which began on Thursday morning to protest East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal's directive to charge parking fees with the auctioning of parking stands ended on Thursday noon.
Over 500 members of both Sikshit Berozgar Tempo Chalak Sangh (an organisation of auto-rickshaw operators) and Shikshit Berozgar Mini Bus Association (an outfit of private bus operators) - the outfits which called the indefinite stir-organised a rally at Aambagan ground in Sakchi and marched to the district collectorate in form of a rally and held demonstration.
"We were against the administration's order on parking fees. But we have decided to call off the strike after positive response from the deputy commissioner who assured that parking fees of only Rs 5 would be charged from auto-rickshaws for entire day at the parking lots for auto-rickshaws in Bistupur. He also assured that any further auctioning of auto-rickshaw parking stands elsewhere in city would be done after taking the auto-rickshaw operators into confidence," said Shyam Kinkar Jha, general secretary of the auto-rickshaw outfit.
The bus unit general secretary, Sanjay Pandey said that the deputy commissioner assured that no checking of fitness certificates of private town buses would be held till October 17 and issued orders in this direction to the district transport officer (DTO) Sanjay Kujur.
last month, the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) had completed auctioning two parking stands for autos in Bistupur - at Diagonal Road and in front of Kamani Centre and had proposed auction of parking stands for autos in Sakchi and private bus stand near Sakchi Jama Masjid roundabout. In protest of this move, the auto drivers started agitating near the Sakchi turnaround.
"The Government too has failed to provide us employment and now they are making life difficult for us with such draconian rules. Pushed to the corner these youths might eventually take to anti-social activities to sustain their family and the government would be held responsible for this state of affairs," said a functionary.
Meanwhile due to the strike, worst sufferers were the college goers and daily wage earners as they could be seen standing on road sides terminus and had to take help of other modes (manual rickshaws) or had to walk to their homes.
Almost majority of the 20,000 auto-rickshaws went off the road while all the mini buses (around 130) remain stranded on the bus terminus.
Over 120 private town buses ply on 14 routes criss-crossing the city and its outskirts. From Sakchi bus stand more than a lakh passengers travel daily. A few travel to the adjoining industrial belt of Adityapur, Gamharia and Kandra in neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan district.