GUWAHATI, Oct 29 - The State committee of the All India Road Transport Workers� Federation and the coordination committee of cab operators of Assam today staged a demonstration at Khanapara here on various demands. The demands included beneficiary schemes for the transporters and waiving of different taxes, among others. The transporters and cab operators sent a memorandum to the Transport Commissioner in this regard.
�Several memos were submitted to the State government and the transport department for solving the issues of transporters, but no steps have been taken yet. We again urge the government to solve our demands immediately,� general secretary of the State committee of the India Road Transport Workers� Federation Biren Sharma said. The cab operators and the transporters had scheduled a �road blockade� along the State�s borders today protesting against the neighbouring states� rule of restricting entry of commercial passenger vehicles, like app-based cabs and taxis from Assam, citing the COVID-19 situation.
However, the agitators withdrew the blockade after the Meghalaya government yesterday released a revised protocol on COVID-19 easing entry into and exit from that state. Today�s protest was staged on other key issues affecting the transporters of Assam.
�We�ve withdrawn the road blockade but there are still some issues that need to be resolved. We are protesting today to draw the attention of the State government in this regard,� Sharma said.
They demanded of the government to set up free COVID-19 testing centres for the transporters in the border areas so that they do not have to cough up money when they enter Meghalaya.
They also requested the government to set up the same kind of rules for the transporters travelling to Assam from the neighbouring states.
