Transport strike against amended MVA affects Delhi-NCR

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) A transport strike call on Thursday against the amended Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) in Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) areas has affected people badly as cabs, auto-rickshaws and private buses remained off the roads.

The call for the strike had been given by the United Front of Transport Associations (UFTA)-- an umbrella body of over 50 unions in Delhi-NCR -- against the steep penalties under the amended MVA.

Not only office-goers faced difficulties in reaching their workplaces, parents too had a hard time while taking their children to schools on Thursday morning. In fact, some schools in Delhi remained shut in view of the strike.

Many parents received SMSs from schools intimating them about the closure in view of the day-long strike.

A message from GD Salwan Public school read: "Dear parent, on account of the strike called by private transporters under the banner of the United Front of Transport Association in Delhi/NCR, the school shall remain closed for the students of classes nursery, KG and 10th on 19/09/2019."

Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, also remained shut and many other schools closed for the day following the poor attendance of the students.

The UFTA has blamed the BJP-led Centre and the AAP-led Delhi government for the strike.

"We have been seeking redressal of our grievances related to the new MV Act from both the Centre and the Delhi government for the last 15 days, but no solution is there in sight thus forcing us to go for the one-day strike," said UFTA General Secretary Shyamlal Gola.

Delhi suburb towns like Noida and Faridabad were also affected by the transport strike.

However, Delhi Metro came as a breather for the harried commuters. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses also were on the roads easing the pain of commuters.