Maharashtra Truckers Suspend Strike Until July 30 Following Government Assurance on E-Challans

Truck drivers in Maharashtra have paused their three-day strike until the end of the month. This decision followed a meeting with state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik and IS Chahal, additional principal secretary to the chief minister, at Mantralaya. The strike, which began on Wednesday, was in protest against the e-challan system for traffic violations.

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The Vahatukdar Bachao Kruti Sanghatana, an action committee leading the strike, decided to give the government time until July 30. Pune-based transport leader Baba Shinde stated that the government assured them that police would not issue e-challans for minor violations like parking or stopping at fuel pumps until the end of this month.

Government Assurances on E-Challan System

The state government has promised to address several concerns raised by truckers. One major demand was the cancellation of wrongly issued e-challans. The government agreed to issue a notification regarding this matter. Additionally, they assured consideration of cancelling challans older than 90 days, according to Shinde.

Another issue discussed was the compulsory requirement for heavy vehicles to have a cleaner or assistant. Despite a shortage of manpower, truckers are fined for not having cleaners. The state government has pledged to raise this issue with the Union government.

Mixed Response to Strike

Transport association leaders noted that the strike received varied responses over its duration. Many trucks and goods vehicles in areas such as Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Thane, and Pune were off the roads during this period. Although bus operators supported the strike, they refrained from participating after an appeal from CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The Maharashtra government also agreed to expand a committee led by the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner. This expansion will include more members from truckers' groups, addressing another demand from transport associations.

Shinde highlighted that despite these assurances, issues remain unresolved. However, truckers have decided to suspend their strike temporarily while awaiting further action from the government.

With inputs from PTI