Transport strike in Bihar put off due to Nepal earthquake

Patna, April 29: Bihar truckers and bus operators on Tuesday decided to defer their one-day strike on April 30 against the Centre's Transport Safety Bill and collection of toll tax on 49 bridges by the Bihar government for relief operations in earthquake-devastated Nepal and also in Bihar.

The decision to defer the strike for a future date was taken at a meeting of the Bihar Motor Transport Federation (BMTF), its president Udai Sinha said in a statement.

"We decided not to keep our trucks and buses off the roads in Bihar as it will hamper relief work for earthquake victims in Nepal as well as in Bihar," he said.

The BMTF president said the strike was against the Transport Safety Bill, 2014 and to protest against collection of toll tax on 49 bridges in Bihar, besides alleged extortion at bus stands by municipal corporation and district boards in different districts.

'We decided not to keep our trucks and buses off the roads due to relief work'

The Transport Safety Bill has stringent punishment clauses including Rs 5,000 fine for drivers jumping red lights and not putting on seat belts.

It also has provisions to impose Rs 15,000 fine or one year jail for drunken driving. For driver of school buses the fine for drunken driving was Rs 50,000 or three years jail.

PTI