Staff reporter
GUWAHATI, July 2 – Following a discussion with the Transport Department on Friday, the Sadou Asom Motor Paribahan Santha, the Greater Guwahati Minibus Owners’ Association and all other associations of commercial vehicle owners have temporarily withdrawn their strike that started this morning in support of the demand for a hike in fares. Representatives of the associations attended a meeting in which Transport Commissioner Swapnanil Barua, DC, Kamrup (Metro) Prattek Hajela and SP (traffic) Bibekananda Das were present.
The associations have also decided to ply the city buses and Trekkers at the old fares till August 10, the deadline for the government to find an amicable solution to the grievances of thetransport associations.
Central executive member of Sadou Asom Motor Paribahan Santha Ajit Choudhury said that the decision to temporarily withdraw the strike of thetransport associations was taken in public interest. “The Government has assured us that all issues, including bus fare, would be resolved by August 10,” said Choudhury.
It needs to be mentioned here that private commercial vehicles went off the city roads this morning over the issue of a hike in their fares. This put the unsuspecting commuters great inconvenience.
A senior official of the Police Department informed that an ASTC bus driver was beaten up by some youths allegedly engaged by the protesting bus owners’association at the Six Mile area this morning following which the driver was admitted to a hospital.
“In areas like Adabari and Khanapara, too, some sporadic incidents were reported though the situation was brought under control due to timely intervention of the police and paramilitary forces,” he stated.
Scuffles between ASTC bus employees and passengers and the youths, allegedly engaged by the transport associations, were also reported.
Since yesterday, the city buses had been charging Rs 5 as the minimum fare in a unilateral move. The commuters had been insisting on paying Rs 3 as the minimum fare and that led to some untoward incidents between the passengers and the city bus employees.
The sudden strike by the private transporters forced many commuters, particularly the office goers, to hire auto-rickshaws at exorbitant rates. The auto rickshawoperators also were not found to be generous by the commuters. The auto-rickshaw operators took full advantage of the situation.
Ajit Choudhury said that since 2008, the associations have been submitting memorandums to the Government to consider their demand for enhancing the bus fare in view of the hikes in the prices of petroleum products. But the Government has been turning a deaf ear to the pleas of thetransport associations, Choudhury alleged.
“The minimum city bus fare was fixed in 2004. Since then the prices of petrol and diesel have been hiked several times. In 2004, the price of diesel was Rs 21.66 per litre, at present its price is Rs 38.40 per litre. The prices of all the accessories of the vehicles too have increased over these years,” said Choudhury, in his bid to justify the demand for enhancing private city buses.
Choudhury also said that the associations had served June 30 as the deadline to the Government to address its demand. “As the government did not respond, we were compelled to increase the minimum fare,” he said adding that instruction was issued to all the employees of the city buses not to get involved in altercation with the passengers if they disagreed to pay the fares at the enhanced rate.
Transport Commissioner Swapnanil Barua said that the associations have been asked to come to the fare revision committee with proper justification for their demand.
The Assam State Committee of Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has condemned the act of unilateral fixation of city bus fare by the transport associations and the incidents of scuffle between the public and the transport associations’ ‘goons’.
GUWAHATI, July 2 – Following a discussion with the Transport Department on Friday, the Sadou Asom Motor Paribahan Santha, the Greater Guwahati Minibus Owners’ Association and all other associations of commercial vehicle owners have temporarily withdrawn their strike that started this morning in support of the demand for a hike in fares. Representatives of the associations attended a meeting in which Transport Commissioner Swapnanil Barua, DC, Kamrup (Metro) Prattek Hajela and SP (traffic) Bibekananda Das were present.
The associations have also decided to ply the city buses and Trekkers at the old fares till August 10, the deadline for the government to find an amicable solution to the grievances of thetransport associations.
Central executive member of Sadou Asom Motor Paribahan Santha Ajit Choudhury said that the decision to temporarily withdraw the strike of thetransport associations was taken in public interest. “The Government has assured us that all issues, including bus fare, would be resolved by August 10,” said Choudhury.
It needs to be mentioned here that private commercial vehicles went off the city roads this morning over the issue of a hike in their fares. This put the unsuspecting commuters great inconvenience.
A senior official of the Police Department informed that an ASTC bus driver was beaten up by some youths allegedly engaged by the protesting bus owners’association at the Six Mile area this morning following which the driver was admitted to a hospital.
“In areas like Adabari and Khanapara, too, some sporadic incidents were reported though the situation was brought under control due to timely intervention of the police and paramilitary forces,” he stated.
Scuffles between ASTC bus employees and passengers and the youths, allegedly engaged by the transport associations, were also reported.
Since yesterday, the city buses had been charging Rs 5 as the minimum fare in a unilateral move. The commuters had been insisting on paying Rs 3 as the minimum fare and that led to some untoward incidents between the passengers and the city bus employees.
The sudden strike by the private transporters forced many commuters, particularly the office goers, to hire auto-rickshaws at exorbitant rates. The auto rickshawoperators also were not found to be generous by the commuters. The auto-rickshaw operators took full advantage of the situation.
Ajit Choudhury said that since 2008, the associations have been submitting memorandums to the Government to consider their demand for enhancing the bus fare in view of the hikes in the prices of petroleum products. But the Government has been turning a deaf ear to the pleas of thetransport associations, Choudhury alleged.
“The minimum city bus fare was fixed in 2004. Since then the prices of petrol and diesel have been hiked several times. In 2004, the price of diesel was Rs 21.66 per litre, at present its price is Rs 38.40 per litre. The prices of all the accessories of the vehicles too have increased over these years,” said Choudhury, in his bid to justify the demand for enhancing private city buses.
Choudhury also said that the associations had served June 30 as the deadline to the Government to address its demand. “As the government did not respond, we were compelled to increase the minimum fare,” he said adding that instruction was issued to all the employees of the city buses not to get involved in altercation with the passengers if they disagreed to pay the fares at the enhanced rate.
Transport Commissioner Swapnanil Barua said that the associations have been asked to come to the fare revision committee with proper justification for their demand.
The Assam State Committee of Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) has condemned the act of unilateral fixation of city bus fare by the transport associations and the incidents of scuffle between the public and the transport associations’ ‘goons’.
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