Commercial transporters enforced a complete strike across Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday, severely affecting life in all three regions of the state.
The transport operators went on a ‘Chaka Jam’ to protestagainst the recent imposition of toll tax along the Srinagar-Jammu nationalhighway, difficulties in securing fitness certificates for their vehicles andgovernment orders asking them to install expensive security gadgets.
Buses, mini-buses, Tata Sumos and Auto Rickshwas remained offthe roads causing inconvenience to commuters, many of whom were seen walking toreach their destinations.
The strike also resulted in very thin attendance at officesand educational institutions.
“I had to attend a marriage ceremony but couldn’t find anauto-rickshaw to travel,” said Ghulam Rasool of Bagh-e-Mehtab.
Similarly, students and office goers said they eitherreached their destinations very late or in many cases were forced to stay backhome.
Transporters said the authorities asking them to installvehicle tracking system devices in order to secure the fitness certificates was”unjustified”.
The transporters are also agitating against the toll leviedon the Srinagar-Jammu national highway saying the high tax was proving a hugeburden for them.
Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf, general secretary of KashmirTransporters Welfare Association told Greater Kashmir that transporters havegiven an ultimatum of five days to the governor’s administration for fulfilltheir demands.
“We will launch an indefinite chakka jam strike if ourdemands are not fulfilled. Not providing us the fitness certificate justbecause we are resisting installing the hi-tech devices, panic buttons and GPSis unfair. How can we spend Rs 20,000 to fix these devices after suffering hugelosses since 2014 floods,” Yusuf said.
The umbrella body of the transporters also held ademonstration at Pratap Park and shouted slogans to highlight their trouble.
Several transporters who were trying to enforce the chakkajam strike were detained by police along with their vehicles at Bemina andPantha Chowk but were released later, officials said.
The strike had complete impact as even movement of theinter-district public transport was badly affected.
“I travel from Srinagar to Sumbal every day but foundit very difficult today due to the strike,” said Sakeena, a schoolteacher.
In spite of the statewide strike, Jammu and Kashmir StateRoad Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) failed to operate its fleet of buses toprovide relief to commuters.
On most of the important routes within the city andinter-district routes, no state government owned public transport was seenplying.
However, managing director, JKSRTC, Bilal Ahmad Bhat said onsome routes in the city buses were pressed into services but had to bewithdrawn soon after “miscreants who were imposing the chakka jam” damagedwindowpanes of some of these buses.
“Windowpanes of almost 2-3 brand new buses have been broken.One such incident took place on the Qamarwari route due to which we couldn’toperate buses for rest of the day,” said Bhat.
The scenario on Wednesday was the same in Jammu too,affecting normal life.
Commercial vehicles including buses, mini-buses, trucks,load carriers, oil tankers, tempo travellers, sumos, taxis and auto-rikshawsremained off the roads.
The protesting transporters said their representative bodiesin Ladakh also joined the strike.
The members of Transport Union damaged several windowpanesof commercial vehicles at Bikram Chowk for not following the strike call givenby All Transporter Union.
Some commercial vehicles were seen plying on roads in Jammucity, but came under attack from union members enforcing the strike.
“We are seeking an appointment from Governor from past twomonths,” said Tirlochan Singh Wazir, Chairman All J&K Transport WelfareAssociation, the organization spearheading the agitation.
“Government is not serious and keeps ignoring the genuineissues of people engaged with transport trade,” Wazir said, adding, no fare revision was affected since two yearsbut the government was mounting burden on them by asking to install highsecurity number plates and speed governors on commercial vehicles.
“We are worst sufferers of government’s policies and peoplewho invest lot in the trader are facing loss, due to state sponsoredharassment.”
The transporters say they will continue the strikeindefinitely if the government did not meet their demands.
Meanwhile, Vaishno Devi pilgrims were also stranded with nocommercial vehicles plying on Wednesday.
However, SRTC deployed some buses on popular routes but thatwas way inadequate