Truck operators protest ban on old vehicles
Urging the Haryana government to impress upon the Centre to bring an ordinance to give relief to truck operators who have been hit hard by the Supreme Court order to ban old diesel and petrol-run vehicles in the National Capital Region, local truckers held a protest in Karnal Union on Thursday.
Members of the Karnal Truck Operators Union on Thursday also protested against the state government’s decision under which the transport department is going to implement the SC directive dated October 29 in the NCR area.
They also took exception to the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) move to cancel the registration of all diesel and petrolrun vehicles which have completed 10 and 15 years, respectively.
The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) will act as the enforcing agency. In Karnal, the RTA has already announced to impound such vehicles if they are found plying on the roads in the district.
They alleged that the decision would affect 12,000 trucks in Karnal alone and it would affect the operators badly.
“The move will cost us dear as we won’t have any other option, but to sell off our trucks at negligible prices, says a truck operator, Daljit Singh.
He urged the state government to take up the matter with the Union government and impress upon the latter to bring an ordinance against the SC directive.
“When we voted for the ruling BJP in Haryana, we could never imagine that they will snatch our bread and butter. We ask the chief minister what is our fault and why are we being targeted,” said another protester, JP Shekhpura.
Around 1.6 lakh vehicles, including 12,000 heavy diesel vehicles, do not fulfil the conditions laid down in the SC directive. These vehicles would not be allowed to ply on the roads from December 1.
Meanwhile, the RTA is going to start a special drive against these vehicles.