Transporters hold dharna to protest hike in diesel prices

Goods and passenger transport owners in West Bengal held a dharna today to protest the unprecedented increase in diesel prices, claiming that they are unable to ply their vehicles at such huge operating cost.

Bus and minibus operators, truck and taxi owners marched to Shahid Minar at Esplanade in the heart of the city and held a dharna to protest the increase in diesel prices, which stood at Rs 71.89 per litre in West Bengal today.

Passenger vehicle operators are also demanding an immediate increase in fares.

"Bus and minibus owners will not ply their vehicles at their own cost after June 4 if the state government does not take a decision on fare hike by then," Joint Council of Bus Syndicates general secretary Tapan Banerjee said.

Banerjee said that fares were last hiked on September 1, 2014 when diesel price was Rs 62.63 per litre in the state.

"Bus owners are unable to ply their vehicles at present fare rates as operating costs have increased hugely owing to high diesel prices and increasing expenses on spare parts and insurance," he said.

West Bengal Truck Operators' Association president Subhas Bose said that 3.71 lakh goods vehicles in the state would go off the roads from June 18 demanding reduction in fuel price.

"The truck operators in the state will join an indefinite strike called by All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners' Association to demand reduction in fuel price apart from issues relating to overloading, police atrocities and high third party insurance cost," Bose said.

He demanded that since truck owners are having to pay GST on everything, fuel prices should also taxed as per GST.

He claimed that 30 per cent goods vehicles in the state have gone off the roads owing to high operating cost and losses incurred in plying the trucks.

West Bengal Taxi Association president Bimal Guha said that cab owners will go on a three-day strike from June 18 to demand hike in fares.