Jammu, Jan 15:  Banking on the assurance given by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to meet them for talks, transporters have deferred their proposed strike for next 5-days.
 Transporters had threatened to go for indefinite strike from January 17 to protest against the increase in the passenger tax and booking of the drivers under Section 307 of Ranbir Panel Code for accidental deaths. Jammu and Kashmir Transport Association has said that it will give some more time to the government to consider their demands. 
 Association today held a 3-hour meeting and decided to defer its proposed strike, which could have grounded more than 45000 private commercial vehicles plying on city roads and across the region. “Chief Minister has assured that he will meet us and we have deferred our agitation for five more days”, said Anil Chopra, president of All Jammu and Kashmir Transport Association.
 He said that they are demanding scrapping of passenger tax and cases registered against drivers in connection with accidents under section 307 of Ranbir Panel Code.
 “Passenger tax is big burden on us as we are already under huge debt due to the rising prices of fuel and government should take into consideration our problems also”, Anil said.
 The hike in the passenger tax has been affected by the administration to provide immediate compensation of Rs one lakh to the next kin of passengers killed in road accidents and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
 Government had decided to charge Rs 15600 as yearly passenger tax against the existing Rs 10,400 on buses, Rs 2000 against Rs 600 on mini-buses, Rs 2000 against Rs 500 on Sumo and other like vehicles, Rs 300 against Rs 120 on auto-rickshaws. .

Lastupdate on : Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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