Demanding the roll back of the controversial Road Transport and Safety Bill-2014, employees of state road transport corporations from across the country are planning to hold a one-day national strike during first week of March against Union Government.
Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, General Secretary of KSRTC Staff and workers Federation Ananthasubba Rao said that the proposed national Road Transport and Safety Bill 2014, if passed in Parliament, would be a death warrant for State-owned road transport corporations across the country.
Mr. Ananthasubba Rao alleged that the BJP-led NDA Government was trying to push the bill without holding an elaborate public debate on it. Mr. Rao said that it was necessary for the law makers to seriously to think over the fate of State Transport Undertakings if the bill was passed in the present form. If passed, the bill would allow enormous and unhealthy competition on road, which would subsequently increase the number of accidents, he said.
He said that the bill was another move to allow private operators to make profit at the cost of public sector transport undertakings and commuters. “So all the trade unions have informed the government that the State Road Transport Corporation Employees spread all over the country will observe one day national strike during first week of March”, he said.
The main demands of the federation are Chapter 6 of the existing M.V Act 1988 should be retained and the present classification of stage and contract carriage should be retained as it is, in the new bill. The trade unions are of the opinion that the state government should have the right to collect taxes in respect of motor vehicles and penalty clause should be scraped. And they are against giving powers to private institutions to inspect vehicles and issue eligibility and fitness certificates.
