Maharashtra truckers on Friday evening suspended their three-day-old strike till the end of the month after assurance from the state government on e-challan and other issues.
The decision came after a meeting of truckers with state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik and IS Chahal, additional principal secretary to the chief minister, at Mantralaya earlier in the day.
The strike began on Wednesday in protest against the e-challan system for traffic violations. While bus operators supported the strike, they did not take part following an appeal by CM Devendra Fadnavis.
After the meeting, the Vahatukdar Bachao Kruti Sanghatana, an action committee of transporters helming the strike, decided to give the state government time till July 30, said Pune-based transport leader Baba Shinde.
"The state government has assured police will not issue e-challans till the end of this month for minor violations like parking or stopping at fuel pumps etc. The state government has also assured it would raise the issue of compulsory requirement of cleaner or assistant for heavy vehicles with the Union government," Shinde said.
Despite issues of manpower shortage, truckers are being fined for not having cleaners, he added.
"The cancellation of wrongly issued e-challans was one of our major demands. The Maharashtra government has agreed to issue a notification regarding this. The government also assured it would consider our demand to cancel challans that are more than 90 days old," Shinde informed.
Transport association functionaries said the government has agreed to expand the committee headed by the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner to include more members from truckers' groups.
Leaders of transport associations claimed the strike received a mixed response over the last three days, adding that a large number of trucks and goods vehicles in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Thane, Pune etc went off the roads during this period.
The decision came after a meeting of truckers with state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik and IS Chahal, additional principal secretary to the chief minister, at Mantralaya earlier in the day.
The strike began on Wednesday in protest against the e-challan system for traffic violations. While bus operators supported the strike, they did not take part following an appeal by CM Devendra Fadnavis.
After the meeting, the Vahatukdar Bachao Kruti Sanghatana, an action committee of transporters helming the strike, decided to give the state government time till July 30, said Pune-based transport leader Baba Shinde.
"The state government has assured police will not issue e-challans till the end of this month for minor violations like parking or stopping at fuel pumps etc. The state government has also assured it would raise the issue of compulsory requirement of cleaner or assistant for heavy vehicles with the Union government," Shinde said.
Despite issues of manpower shortage, truckers are being fined for not having cleaners, he added.
"The cancellation of wrongly issued e-challans was one of our major demands. The Maharashtra government has agreed to issue a notification regarding this. The government also assured it would consider our demand to cancel challans that are more than 90 days old," Shinde informed.
Transport association functionaries said the government has agreed to expand the committee headed by the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner to include more members from truckers' groups.
Leaders of transport associations claimed the strike received a mixed response over the last three days, adding that a large number of trucks and goods vehicles in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Thane, Pune etc went off the roads during this period.
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