Coming together to oppose the state government’s recent hike in fines for violation of traffic rules, city’s private, minibus, trucks and school bus operators have decided to protest against the latest norms unanimously.
The operators have announced a demonstration by the members of various bus, minibus unions against the state government’s decision to increase the traffic fines. Operators of seven major unions including private, minibuses, trucks and school buses have unanimously formed a committee named “Paribahan Bachao Committee” to protest against the hike in penalties.
The formation of the committee including the members of Joint Council of Bus Syndicates, Mini Bus Operators’ Co-Ordination Committee, All Bengal Bus Mini Bus Samannay Samiti, Bengal Bus Syndicate, West Bengal Bus and Mini Bus Owners’ Association, West Bengal Contract Carriage Owners’ and Operators’ Association and Federation of West Bengal Truck Operators’ Association comes after the state Transport Department issued a notification announcing a revision in the traffic fines on 24 January.
The department declared a sharp increase in the fine chart with a hike by up to ten times of the previous amount. The steep rise in the fines is not being taken well by the operators of private buses, minibuses, school buses, online app cabs, taxi operators. The operators, since then, are protesting the department’s move to introduce the sharp increase.
“Members of the committee have announced holding a demonstration in front of the Transport Department office at Kasba on Monday,” informed one of the union leaders. Operating services with such a high amount of fines is very difficult. We demand immediate withdrawal of the notification,” added the union leader.