Kakinada: Transport workers protest against imposition of huge fines

Kakinada: All India Road Transport Workers Federation (AIRTWF) members staged dharna in front of Deputy Transport Commissioner's office here on Friday, protesting against huge chalan fees and fines on transport vehicles.

CITU district senior leader and Motor and Lorry Workers Union district honorary president Duvva Seshu Babji said that more than 4 lakh road accidents are taking place in the country every year. The number of vehicles increased by 27 per cent every year in the country, but the government has not extended the roads. He said all the roads in the state were in disarray causing vehicles to deteriorate quickly.

He said private transport plays a key role in transporting people and food items to their destinations on a daily basis. He criticised the state government for releasing GO 21 as a Dasara gift and raising huge chalan fees and penalty while transport workers were suffering and recovering during the Covid -19 pandemic. Babji demanded the government to immediately abolish the GO no 21.

CITUpresident Palivela Veerababu said that central government had enacted the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act to hand over the transport sector, which employs 6 crore people in the country and 30 lakh people in the state to the corporate sector. M Venkata Ramana, transport workers and others were present.