Trucks to go off roads tomorrow in TS, AP

Trucks to go off roads tomorrow in TS, AP
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Public carriages and private transporters across the two Telugu states will go on a one-day all-India strike on Thursday to protest against the Road Transport and Safety Bill-2015. Transport operators have fears that the NDA government will introduce the Bill in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.

Protest against Centre’s move to usurp States’ powers

Hyderabad: Public carriages and private transporters across the two Telugu states will go on a one-day all-India strike on Thursday to protest against the Road Transport and Safety Bill-2015. Transport operators have fears that the NDA government will introduce the Bill in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.


Transport operators are opposing the provisions in the Bill which would give powers of vehicle registration, issuing of Driving Licences (DL) and Fitness Certificates (F.C) to private companies. Speaking to The Hans India, Y S Eshwar Rao, General Secretary of AP Lorry Owners Association said: “Bringing a uniform Registration Certificate (RC) and driving licence system in the country may be desirable.


But in the guise of it, the Centre’s move is intended to hand over all powers to private companies and the business will be severely affected in such eventuality. Rao further added that the penalties and severe prison terms envisaged in the Bill would hit the sector. If the severe punishments were to be implemented, nobody would join the profession as drivers. Already facing a dearth of drivers and 25 per cent of vehicles failed to hit the roads on a daily basis due to lack of drivers, he said.


If a driver is found without driving licence, he will be fined Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000 if a driver is found using other’s licence although he has his own driving licence. If a vehicle is plied without permit, the first-time penalty would be Rs. 25,000 and Rs.50,000 for subsequent violations. If a vehicle is plied on roads without registration, it would attract a penalty of Rs.1,00,000.

If a two-wheeler is found without insurance, the penalty will be Rs 10,000. For Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and three-wheelers, the penalty for lack of insurance is Rs. 25,000 and owners of heavy vehicles will have to shell out Rs.75,000. Transport Ministers of AP and Telangana Sidda Raghava Rao and P Mahender Reddy had already registered their opposition to the Bill with Union Surface Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, during the recent South India Transport Council (SITCO) meeting held at Panaji, Goa. Transport Ministers of Karnataka and Kerala also opposed the Road Safety Bill at the SITCO meeting.

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