Private bus and heavy vehicle operators in Maharashtra, who had threatened to go on an indefinite strike from July 1 to press for their various demands, have called off the agitation following a meeting with Maharashtra government representatives on Thursday afternoon, officials said.
“The state Transport Associations have agreed to withdraw their strike after the government assured them that a new e-challan policy will be introduced within a month. The government has agreed to provide relief to transport operators until the new policy is implemented,” Murad Naik of Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatana said.
He said a task force committee would be appointed shortly to address the concerns of transport operators. The strike was initially planned to protest against “unjust e-challan fines”, concerns about unresolved infrastructure issues, and traffic rules. Additional demands included waiving existing penalties, cancelling the mandatory cleaner rule for heavy vehicles, and reconsidering no-entry timings in metro cities.