Team Herald
PANJIM/BICHOLIM/MARGAO: Several transport operators on Wednesday held public meetings at Bicholim and Sanquelim to oppose the “Road and safety Bill 2015”.
The meetings were organised by the members of private bus operators association, truck operators association, tempo, taxi, autorickshaw operators association and motorcycle pilots association to extend their support to the nationwide strike called on September 2, by Central trade unions to protest against the Union government’s “unilateral” push on labour law changes and non-fulfilment of their demands.
Addressing a meeting at Bicholim, president of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Prasanna Uttagi said that if the bill is passed then it would severely affect the transport operators in the country.
Adv Suhas Desai explained the ill effects of the bill and accused the Central government of trying to support the rich and multinational companies at the cost of the poor.
All Goa Bus Owners Association President Sudip Tamhankar; Adv Raju Mangeshkar and Krishna Pol also spoke on the occasion. The members urged with the Central and the State government authorities to withdraw the said bill before September 2 by calling a special session of the Parliament.
Meanwhile, the All Goa Transport Operators Association has unanimously decided to participate in the national general strike on September 2.
Asserting that the Road Transport & Safety Bill, 2015 is against the interest of those who are dependent on the transport industry, the Association has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Bill.
Meanwhile, the Association has also extended it support to All India Kissan Sabha and Bharatiya Keth Mazdoor Union that are protesting against, what they call as arbitrary and draconian provisions in the Land Acquisition Bill, 2015.
Addressing the media, Association Convener Adv R D Mangueshkar said that they had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 10, 2014, raising serious objections to various provisions of the Bill that would adversely affect small transport operators and put their livelihood in serious jeopardy.
He said that the punishment and penalty clauses contained in Sections 285 to 332 of the proposed Bill are sever in nature, as such all the drivers would be in danger of being slapped with serious criminal offences.
Rather than preventing road accidents, such a provision would increase corruption in transport industry, the association members argued adding, “On many occasions, the cause of road accidents is often the conditions of roads and not the negligence on part of the driver.”
