Bus services remained paralysed on Thursday in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with the State transport employees joining the nationwide strike against the proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2015. State roadway and private buses remained off the road in the region. In Chandigarh also, the buses remained off the road.
Roadways employees were protesting in front of bus depots against the proposed Road Safety Bill of the Central Government, reports said. Security arrangements around various bus stands and depots have been intensified with deployment of additional security personnel in the region. The day-long strike has been called jointly by road transport organisations — representing both public and private sector workers — which are affiliated to central trade unions including All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and BMS.
Various union leaders said that the introduction of the bill would demolish the whole transport infrastructure in the country. Report from Bhiwani and Amritsar said that there was a complete strike by the roadways employees in the districts. Auto Rickshaws from the regions have also joined the strike. Reports from Yamuna Nagar said that early in the morning a few buses were operated to various destinations, including Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla under police protection. The report said that due to tension between the two groups of employees — one supporting the strike and the other opposing it — the district administration as deployed two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and a District Magistrate with police force to maintain law and order.
A report from Pathankot in Punjab said that goods and passengers transporters commenced their strike as part of the nationwide strike call. About 3,000 buses and trucks in Pathankot area have joined the strike. Pathankot SSP Rakesh Kaushal said patrolling in the area has been intensified to deal with any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, Haryana Minister of State for Transport, Karan Dev Kamboj described the strike being called by roadways employees opposing the ‘Road Safety Act’, as against humanity and ethics. Therefore, strike on this matter does not make any sense. Kamboj said that every person on road needs safety be it pedestrian or people traveling by cycle, motorcycle, car, jeep, truck or bus. Hence, the State Government considers its responsibility to make sure that every person reaches home safely. That’s why the Central Government is making ‘Road Safety Act’ to curb road accidents. Keeping in view the grievances of people, the roadways employees should call off their strike, he added.
The Minister said that after implementation of this Act, nobody would be involved in drunken driving, talk on mobile phone while driving and engage in other activities while driving and if found doing so then legal action would be taken. This Act ensures responsibility of driver in case of death of passenger in accident. “Roadways employees wants to shun their responsibilities that’s why they want to remove this point in the Act which ensures their responsibility if any accident takes place, which is unethical,” he added.