Transporters call off strike in Haryana

Chandigarh, Jan 7 (IANS) The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) Wednesday called off a strike by truckers following a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The chief minister assured the AIMTC delegation that the Haryana government would keep in abeyance for one year its latest notification under which heavy vehicles were directed to obtain fresh fitness certificates under stringent guidelines on dimensions of these vehicles.

Officer of Special Duty to the Chief Minister Jawahar Yadav said the government has given a year's time to the transporters to follow the rules for fitness of their vehicles.

AIMTC president Brahm Wadhwa told the media that the issue was resolved following the meeting with Khattar and Transport Minister Ram Bilas Sharma.

"We have called off the strike," Wadhwa said.

Thousands of trucks and long-body trailers went off the roads in Haryana Tuesday, with the transporters' association alleging that they were being harassed for getting new fitness certificates for their vehicles.

The transporters had said the strike would continue indefinitely till the Haryana government withdrew its notification under which all heavy vehicles require fresh fitness certificates from the transport department.

"The call for strike had been given on the issue of oversized dimensions of vehicles, but now that the state government has given us a year's time for ensuring fitness of vehicles, the transporters would run their vehicles in compliance with the rules," Wadhwa said.

The transport department, which has senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka as commissioner, had last month issued a notification, saying all heavy vehicles need to adhere to new criteria on dimensions of these vehicles before they are issued fitness certificates.

There are nearly 3.5 lakh transport vehicles plying in Haryana.

Gurgaon, the industrial hub of Haryana, alone has over 60,000 heavy vehicles which transport automobiles (cars, two-wheelers and others) from big manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, Honda and others.