Rickshaw bandh sputters out, confusion reigns among parents

Government's promise to reconsider harsh provisions

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A planned rickshaw strike in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Wednesday fizzled out after organizers called it off due to the government's promise to reconsider harsh provisions of the new Motor Vehicle Act. However, many parents, unaware of the cancellation, resorted to alternative transport to drop their children at school.

The brief one-and-a-half-hour bandh, called by the Jai Sangharsh Vehicle Drivers and Owners Association, saw minimal impact as rickshaw drivers resumed operations after the announcement. The association claimed to have immobilized 5,000 private vehicles to ferry passengers throughout the day.

Despite the cancellation, some parents, who hadn't received the news, took their own cars or hired alternative transport to ensure their children reached school on time.

Organizers, including Nisar Ahmed of the Rickshaw Chalak Sangharsh Kruti Samiti, expressed disappointment that the message hadn't reached all parents. They reiterated their demand for the complete repeal of the new Motor Vehicle Act, citing concerns about its stringent penalties.

Protest march to collector office

Meanwhile, the Jai Sangharsh Rickshaw Chalak-Malak Sanghtana held a separate protest march, starting from Harsul T Point and culminating at the Collector's office. Around 200 drivers and owners participated, demanding various measures including the implementation of a Driver Safety Act. Suresh Gaikwad, Nazir Shaikh, Kapil Sahani, Anil Gote, Salim Binshad and others participated in the march.

Rickshaw closure only in the morning

The bandh was observed between 7 am and 8:30 am, said Imran Patel, secretary of Vastad Dal rickshaw owners association. Even during this period, we kept rickshaws open for essential services.