THE All India Co-Ordination Committee of Road Transport Workers’ Organisations in a statement issued on October 6, has called upon the transport workers in the country to participate in the Mahapadav from November 9-11, in New Delhi in protest against the MV Act Amendment Bill. It also appealed to all the transport workers in the country to observe protest actions as and when the bill will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha. After the three-day Mahapadav, future course of action will be announced. It further appealed to all the stakeholders of the transport sector to come onto a common dais to fight against the retrograde MV Act Amendment Bill.

A meeting of the coordination committee was held in CITU office, New Delhi, on October 4 which was chaired by KK Divakaran, general secretary, All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation. The meeting observed that the minister for transport Nitin Gadkari is deceiving the people of the country by saying that the MV Act Amendment Bill is being brought to reduce road accidents, which is a bogus.

Due to this bill, all the state road transport corporations will further shrink. All the driver-cum-owner of auto rickshaws, taxi, truck etc will lose their earnings and the big corporates will rule the sector. Hence it has been decided to make a joint representation to the select committee of Rajya Sabha which is examining the MV Act Amendment Bill.

The meeting took note of the affect of the GST on the transport sector and decided to submit a memorandum to the finance minister. The meeting unanimously elected KK Divakaran, general secretary, All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation as the convenor of the co-ordination committee.