Patna, March 14: Commuters across the state will have a tough time on March 27 when members of bus and autorickshaw associations have called for a joint strike against the state and Union governments.
The associations are angry with the state government over abnormal increase in registration and fitness fees and with the central government over non-amendment of Motor Vehicle Act 2016. The state chapter of All India Road Transport Workers Federation called the strike in collaboration with Bihar Motor Transport Federation and Bihar State Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh.
General secretary of the state chapter of All India Road Transport Workers Federation, Raj Kumar Jha, said that earlier they had to shell out Rs 400 as registration fee for vehicles; now it is Rs 800. "Also, where Rs 800 was registration fee, it is now Rs 1,600," Jha said. "Earlier, the fitness charge was Rs 5,000 annually. But now, they charge Rs 50 more on a daily basis. Similarly, the fee for learning and permanent licence has also been raised."
Jha said a convention of the All India Road Transport Workers Federation's state chapter would be called on March 15. "We've invited representatives of railways, LIC, industry bodies," Jha said. "We'll urge them not to ply their private two-wheelers and four-wheelers that day." Bihar Motor Transport Federation general secretary Ajay Kumar Singh said the associations had sought amendments to certain provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act 2016. "Under the act, compensation in hit-and-run cases has been raised from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh and there is also provision for damages up to Rs 10 lakh," Singh said. "Driving without a licence now attracts a fine of Rs 5,000 (from Rs 500 earlier) and driving despite disqualificatia penalty of Rs 10,000. The fines have been abnormally raised. Fines on overloading of vehicles are up from Rs 2,000 to Rs 20,000. The act proposes a fine of Rs 1,000 for speeding by light motor vehicles and Rs 2,000 for medium passenger vehicles.
The penalty for dangerous driving has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000."
