Srinagar, Apr 12: Jammu Kashmir Transport Welfare Association Wednesday said it will observe a ‘Chaka-Jam’ on the 17th of this month.

This Association said that all the affiliated Associations have extended their support to the strike.

“The ‘Chaka-Jam’ has been announced to get our genuine demands resolved at the earliest,” General Secretary Transport Welfare Association Sheikh Muhammad Yousuf said.

He said a meeting of various transport Associations and Companies and Unions of all segments was held at the Parimpora area of Srinagar outskirts and it was decided that 3.5 lakh people are associated with the transport sector across J&K that is continuously neglected by the Government.

“Transporters are facing Tough times despite working hard. Our earnings are shrinking due to heavy increases in all taxes, fees, and penalties levied by the State and Central Governments,” he said.

He said there are various demands that need to be resolved.

Some of the demands include the conduct of two fitness tests of vehicles aged between 15 to 25 years after every six months in a year and may be charged only once as per the Ministry of Roads and Transport Highways order or renewing the fitness of all commercial vehicles for one year.

He said in order to decongest Srinagar City all Companies, Associations and Unions were shifted from prime locations of Srinagar City on the direction of the High Court. The idea put forth is taken to ensure that the city of Srinagar is decongested of the traffic mess. Now the RTC big and medium Buses have started ‘illegal’ operations of their fleet on all routes of Kashmir Division which causes huge losses to the owners, and drivers of nig Buses, Mini Buses, and Maxi Cabs.

“It is further submitted that the orders passed by the High Court are not followed by the RTC Officers,” Sheikh Muhammad Yousuf said.

He said that transporters demand that the illegal operation of big and medium Buses of RTC from Batamaloo, New Secretariat Road and Lal Chowk should be stopped forthwith and no RTC Bus shall be allowed to cross the Parimpora and Pantha Chowk Junctions.

He demanded a ban on what he said were illegal operations of E-Rickshaws in Jammu and Srinagar Cities.

He asked the government to collect passenger tax from the vehicle owners of J&K on a quarterly basis. “Further there should be re-registration and replacement of vehicles purchased from outside states,” he said adding that all challans issued under rules 167 in electronic form using auto-generation of challan through the electronic monitoring and enforcement system shall be accompanied by the clear photographic evidence highlighting the offence and the license plate of the vehicle; measurement from the electronic enforcement device; Date, time and place of the offence and the notice specifying the provision of Act that has been violated.

“We have submitted our charter of demands to the government. and have highlighted all the issues pertaining to the transport sector. The transporters from both regions of Kashmir and Jammu have unanimously decided to go for a one-day Chaka Jam on 17 April this month.

He said that it has also been decided that if the Laylatul-Qadr will be observed on 17 April the transport will be available to all shrines and mosques after 6 PM for the convenience of the general public.

The transporters appealed to LG Manoj Sinha to resolve their genuine demands without making the public suffer. [KNT]