THOUSANDS of road transport workers from all over India gathered at Jantar Mantar on December 18 and staged a dharna at the call of all the trade unions. The area resounded with the slogans – “withdraw the Road Transport and Safety Bill 2014”; “Today dharna and next, strike in first week of March 2015”. K K Divakaran, general secretary, AIRTWF while addressing the dharna criticised the central government’s moves to corporatise both the passenger and goods transport (of road transport. The draft bill will dismantle all the state road transport corporations in India, throwing 7.5 lakhs of workers on to the roads. Not only the state road transport corporations but also the goods transport industry, auto and taxi segments will be corporatised. The development of the nation will be halted. The people at large will be badly affected. The bill is a retrograde one. The ministry has failed to take into consideration the road condition, infrastructure and awareness of the people of India on traffic rules and road safety. The penalty for the first offence in some cases is equal to two month salary of the driver. The dharna unanimously resolved to organise conventions in all the states between January 15-31, 2015 and for nationwide strike in the first week of March 2015. A delegation met the concerned authorities of surface transport ministry and submitted a memorandum demanding the withdrawal of the draft bill forthwith.