MUMBAI: Transporters across Maharashtra have announced an indefinite strike beginning Thursday midnight, threatening to halt the movement of trucks, tempos, tourist and school buses, taxis, private cabs and autorickshaws. The protest centres on alleged misuse of the e-challan system and what transporters describe as arbitrary penalties.
Talks between transport representatives and transport commissioner Rajesh Narvekar on Wednesday evening failed to resolve the issue. Following the meeting, Malik Patel of the Maharashtra Transport Action Committee confirmed that the strike would proceed as planned.
The Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), which represents around 80,000 private car owners, has also expressed support for the protest. WIAA chairman Nitin Dossa said many private vehicle owners have similar grievances regarding e-challans.
School bus services will operate on Thursday morning but are expected to stop from Friday if the strike continues, said Anil Garg of the School Bus Owners Association.
Taxi union leader D.A. Salian said many cab drivers are also likely to join the protest, claiming that fines issued through the e-challan system are often unjustified and sometimes exceed a driver’s daily earnings. Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union leader Thampy Kurien added that autorickshaw drivers in suburban areas are also preparing to participate.
According to Patel, the movement of trucks, buses and taxis may begin to slow from Thursday morning itself. “Transporters will gather at Azad Maidan at noon on Thursday to protest. Vehicles will also start assembling there. If no decision is taken by the government by Thursday evening, we will launch an indefinite chakka jam across the state,” said Bal Malkit Singh from the transporters’ association.
The issue was raised in the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Wednesday, where MLA Amin Patel urged the government to intervene. He claimed that around ₹3,500 crore worth of e-challans are pending for commercial vehicles and alleged that multiple challans are often issued for a single vehicle, many of which are “unjustified.” He warned that a strike could severely disrupt transport and daily life.
State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said he agreed in principle with the concerns raised by transporters and directed officials to examine the legal aspects of the matter to find a solution. Senior transport department officials also requested transporters to give the government more time, citing the upcoming state budget on Friday and ongoing geopolitical tensions related to the Israel-Iran conflict.
However, transport leaders said they had already waited long enough. “A government-appointed committee submitted recommendations on the e-challan issue in December, but none of them have been implemented so far,” Singh said.
Transporters have also complained about alleged harassment by field officers, vehicles being forcibly stopped for recovery of fines, multiple challans issued on the same day, and penalties for “no-parking” violations despite a lack of proper parking infrastructure.
