Telangana bus, cab operators to strike on May 20

Telangana State Cabs and Bus Operators Association (TSCBOA) today warned of going on strike if the border tax imposed by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh government is not withdrawn.
The body launch a one-day strike on May 20 but before that representatives (of the body) would try to meet AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrashekar Rao and request them to resolve the issue, TSCBOA president Syed Nizamuddin said in a statement issued here.
"If they fail to act, then the association would seek Governor ESL Narasimhan's intervention. If the operators fail to get justice from all the authorities, then they would go on one-day strike on May 20. All the operators will park their cabs and buses at the local RTA offices for the entire day," he said.

He condemned the Andhra Pradesh Government's attitude for not reacting to the representations made by the bus operators.
Telangana operators were paying border tax at the rate of Rs 330 per seat, he said. "The operators are neither able to pay the tax, nor are they willing to transfer the burden to passengers."
This tax will hit the tourism, hotel, food and other related industries in Andhra Pradesh which will in turn lose heavily on VAT and other taxes, according to the association.
Telangana government too should rationalise the road tax on bus operators for the benefit of commuters, it said.