Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 15 2009:
Demanding immediate cancellation of the stage carriage permit given by the Transport Director to maxi cabs (vehicles which can carry only 7 to 12 passengers including the driver) in Thoubal which is located at a distance of only 22 km from Imphal, passenger bus services along Indo-Burma road has stopped from today morning.
Owning to the cease work strike, many passengers were caught offguard.
The cease work strike of the passenger buses began from 10 am today in response to the call of Indo-Burma Road Joint Transporters' Union, which is a joint body of Indo-Burma Sugnu Road Bus Owners' Welfare Union, South Eastern Transport Co-operative Society and Yairipok Bus Owners' Association.
As part of the agitation, all the passenger buses of the three transporters' bodies were also kept stationed in three separate rows starting from in front of Power House at Keishampat to Nupi Lan Memorial complex leading to traffic jam until the traffic and police personnel forced the drivers to drive away their respective buses.
In connection with the cease work strike, convenor of Indo-Burma Road Joint Transporters' Union A Priyokumar during a press conference at the Union office pointed out that till date there has been no definite policy of the State Transport authorities for allowing a fixed number of vehicles to carry out services along every route nor any clearity on issuing permit to vehicles for passenger services.
Nonetheless, issuing of stage carriage permit to maxi cabs in Thoubal which is located just 22 kms from Imphal is in blatant violation of the provisions under the Motor Vehicle Act and should be scrapped at once, Priyokumar contended, adding that the ongoing cease work strike would remain until revocation of the controversial permit.