delhi

Updated: Jul 01, 2020 03:47 IST

Commuters are facing problems on Thursday as transport association in Delhi and Noida have called for a strike as a protest against the penalties imposed under the amended Motor Vehicles Act.

Several private schools across the city are closed. Cluster, private buses, auto-rickshaws, a section of app-based cabs, trucks, grameen sevas and school vans are also off the roads on Thursday, causing problems for schools.

According to reports, apart from schools, several companies and industries in Noida are not working today.

Transport body, comprising 41 associations and unions, called for a one-day token strike against various provisions of the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act. The United Front of Transport Associations (UFTA), which has called for the strike, is an umbrella body representing 41 associations and unions of goods and passenger segments, including trucks, buses, autos, tempos, maxi-cabs and taxis plying in the Delhi-NCR region. The UFTA stated that no private commercial vehicle will be running on Delhi roads from 6 am to 9.30 pm on Thursday.

“Our main demand is that the exorbitant penalties under the amended MV Act should be reviewed. It is nothing but a source of corruption. While the government has increased the fines, it has not supported it with any infrastructure. Why do we still not have any scientific evidence of challans? Traffic inspectors still are not equipped with body-worn cameras or collar microphones. The government has assured that an ACP or SDM rank official will issue challans of higher value, but that did not happen,” Harish Sabharwal, chairman, UFTA, had said.

Schools to stay shut

Many parents received messages from their children’s schools informing them that they’ll be closed on Thursday due to the strike. The exams that were scheduled to be held on Thursday have also been postponed in some schools.

Several private schools like The Shriram Millennium School, Apeejay School, Bal Bharati Public School in Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, and Shiv Nadar School in Noida, Mount Abu Public School in Rohini, and Modern Public School in Shalimar Bagh have declared a holiday on Thursday.

While some schools that have decided to stay open, asked parents to make travel arrangements for their children.

“Our school buses will operate normally. We have requested parents using private transportation to make alternate arrangements to drop their kids off,” said a spokesperson of Amity International Schools, Noida.

Whereas many parents are in dilemma about making alternate arrangements for their kids as there are several reports that the strike involves road blockage.

“There are reports that the strike involves road blockage. So even if we make arrangements, we can never be sure about the condition of roads,” said Yatendra Kasana, president, All Noida School Parents Association.