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Ahmedabad School auto, van drivers to go on indefinite strike

On Tuesday evening, Ahmedabad School Van Association announced an indefinite strike until the state government grants two months to obtain necessary permits for school vans and rickshaws. Subsequent to Gujarat High Court directed the transport and traffic department to take action against overloaded school vans and rickshaws that increase a risk to students travelling in them.

School Van 1

Association president  has appealed for maintaining peace during strike during a meeting on Tuesday. “We are presently allowed 6 students per rickshaw and 14 children in school vans. In the past three days as many as 200 rickshaws and 200 school vans have been seized. Rs 10 lakhs have been paid as penalty. One week’s time is too less to fulfill permit obligations,” association president told. “We demand that 8 students be allowed per rickshaw and 16 children in vans. Otherwise monthly tariff will go up by Rs 150 per student. Rich parents mostly send their children in cars. It is the poor and the middle class that travel in our vans,” he added.

School Van 2

Association president will meet Ahmedabad Collector on Wednesday to give him a memorandum of demands. Association vice president said, “There are 6,500 school rickshaws and 5,500 vans that take students to school every day.” He rued they are being unduly targeted while overloaded jeeps and rickshaws ply unhindered on SG Highway while Yasin Chippa complained that overloaded rickshaws are not stopped in areas like Narol and Naroda despite their being 21 traffic signals