THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Major trade unions and public carriage operators have given a joint call for a dawn-to-dusk vehicle bandh on January 24 to protest against the spiralling petrol and diesel prices even as private bus operators announced an indefinite strike from January 30 to press for fare hike.
Besides private buses, taxis, autorickshaws and goods carriages would stay off the road on the day. All major Central trade unions, barring BMS, are taking part in the January 24 strike. Workshops and spare parts shops also would remain closed on the day.
In a joint statement, the trade unions and public carriage operators said the sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices had dealt a heavy blow on the transport sector. Indications were that the prices would rise further in the coming days. If that happens, there would be even greater crisis. The Central government should be ready to forego higher excise levies to provide relief to the sector, they said.
The indefinite private bus strike is being organised by the Private Bus Operators Confederation, an umbrella organisation of seven associations of some 14,500 bus operators from different parts of the State. A meeting of the confederation held here on Thursday felt that unless there was an urgent increase in bus fares, the industry would collapse. The meeting decided to launch a hunger strike in front of the Secretariat beginning January 22 as a prelude to the indefinite strike.
Briefing reporters about the deliberations at the meeting, confederation chairman Lawrence Babu said that bus fares were last revised on May 20, 2014. The price of diesel had gone up from ₹54 then to ₹67 now. The period had also seen insurance premium going up by 68%, spare parts prices by 50% and wages by around 100%, besides a substantial increase in chassis prices.
He said the confederation wanted a minimum fare of Rs 10. For every additional kilometre, there should be increase of 80 paise. The minimum charge for students should be of Rs 5. The government should also take steps to restore the cancelled permits for operating routes beyond 140 km and roll back the increase in road tax. The confederation would not settle for the 10% reportedly recommended by the C.N. Ramachandran Nair Committee that had studied the issue, Babu said.
