Transport strike hits city hard, private car attacked

The 24-hour strike called by All Assam Motor Transport Union (Aamtu) in protest against the high price of petrol paralyzed life in the city on Monday. Most long distance buses and city buses remained off the road, while some private vehicles were seen plying. However, a section of bandh supporters allegedly attacked some private vehicles. "Our vehicle was attacked by stones by some miscreants while we were travelling on the national highway. We were going from Guwahati to Dimapur," said a passenger whose vehicle was damaged by bandh supporters near Dabaka in Hojai. Police later dispersed supporters of the bandh but no one was detained.Aamsu president Pulak Goswami said, "The incident was very unfortunate. There were miscreants who tried to create disturbances."Commuters were hit the hardest by Monday's bandh, with busses and trekkers not plying on usual routes. "We could see only government-run buses on the road. Travelling was a torture with so many people trying to board at the same time. Later, I had to take an auto to my work place," said Rahul Hazarika, a government employee. Assam State Transport Corporation managing director Anand Prakash Tiwari said around 200 state-run buses ran in the city on Monday and around 700 buses went to various other locations of the state. The transport union said they will call a 48-hour strike from June 11 if their demands are not addressed.