Thousands of private passenger bus owners will proceed on an indefinite strike beginning April 1 this year to protest the Central Government rule on removal of tinted glasses from all their buses in the State. General Secretary of Chhattisgarh Transport Federation Haji Sharief Raza said in a statement.
A delegation of bus owners met MP Ramesh Bais on Friday afternoon and apprised him of the problems to be encountered by them with the introduction of the rule.
Bais assured the bus owners that he will convey their concerns to Chief Minister Raman Singh.
The bus owners stated that a meeting was scheduled at the new bus stand on Friday evening to discuss their agitational plans.
They informed that as per a Central Government directive action would be initiated against them if they did not remove tinted glasses from their buses from April 1 this year.
The State Transport Department has directed the bus owners to remove tinted glasses as well as all coloured glasses from their buses within a week’s time failing which the registration of their vehicles would be cancelled and a fine would be imposed on them.
Both Chhattisgarh Transport Federation and Transport Federation would take part in the strike.
General Secretary of Chhattisgarh Transport Federation Haji Sharief Raza said that while bus operators agree with the directive of the Central Government, it is not possible for them to remove the tinted glasses from around 10,000 buses at the same time.
In this situation the bus owners would take their vehicle off roads as it is not possible for them to remove the tinted glasses and arrange for clear glasses immediately, he said.
The bus owners stated that they have sent letters to a dozen of the higher officials and Ministers including Transport Minister, other Cabinet Ministers, leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Ravindra Choubey, State Congress leader Nandkumar Patel, former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, Raipur Mayor and heads of trade chambers.
They stated that diesel price had been rising but it had not matched the passenger tariff rates. Similarly, tax is being levied at the rate of two sleepers for a single sleeper.
The seating capacity of the buses had not been decided by the authorities with many more demands for which no action is being taken, the bus owners added.