Transport operators close ranks: Extend deadline or face strike

“We want the government to defer the deadline and tell us how to go about the change. The government cannot afford to be callous as 1.5 lakh people will be hit directly or indirectly by the ban. It’s not just the buses and taxis but also commercial vehicles like KMC trucks that will be affected by the ban,” said Tarak Pramanik of Calcutta Taxi Association.

The protestors have also formed a Bannijjik Parivar Bachao Committee to which various transport operators are a part. “The government has taken a one-sided decision and it never consulted us before announcing it. If the transport minister does not provide an alternative,we will announce next week from when we will start our indefinite strike,” said Sadhan Das,president of Joint Council of Bus syndicate.

The operators also want the state government to give them an alternative so that they could meet the pollution norms while keeping their existing vehicles. “The state government has already provided the school buses with an alternative. They can merely install a device that can help control pollution without replacing the vehicle. We want the government to give us a similar deal as it is not possible to replace all the old vehicles,” said Swarnakamal Saha,secretary of Bengal Bus syndicate.

They also said they would give the government 48 hours after submitting the deputation before they announce their decision to go on a strike.