Transporters’ strike hits life in city

People faced difficulties in movement as public transport means like buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws remained off the roads in the State supporting the 12-hour “Paribahan Dharmaghat” called the All India Transport Federation on Tuesday.

The call was given in protest against the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which is intended to change the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Hundreds of members of different organisations led by Rajadhani Autochalak Sangh president Sura Jena, Nikhil Odisha Auto and Taxi Mahasangha secretary Padma Kumar Samal, All India Transport Workers’ Federation working president Nabakishore Mohanty took out a rally and held a demonstration here.

The members alleged that the Central Government is trying to handover the transport sector to private organisation like Ola and Uber and has deprived more than two crore of taxi and auto-rikshaw drivers and garage and driving training centre workers of their livelihood.

More than 150 workers were arrested during the protest. Among others, Biswanath Mohanty, Manoranjan Barik, Karunakar Das and Ramchandra Behera participated.