Protesters go shirtless, demand relief for travel operators

Hyderabad: Several travel operators based in Telangana held a shirtless protest at the Road Transport Office, Khairatabad, on Monday, July 27th.

The protest was led by Telangana State Cabs and Bus Operators Association (TSCBOA) President Syed Nizamuddin, Joint Action Committee members K Gopal Reddy and KM Govind Raj, and demanded the waiver of Motor Vehicle Tax for the lockdown period.

Several representations had been submitted by the members to the RTA Commissioner, demanding the issue to be resolved, but when they met him on Monday, he allegedly asked them to visit the Chief Minister's Office.

The protestors have demanded waiver of Motor Vehicle Tax for Contract Cordage Vehicles and Maxi Cabs for the 2nd Quarter April-June 2020 and permission to surrender for Non-Use for 3rd Qtr July-Sep of the current financial year.

The protestors said that despite continuous meetings with the Principal Secretary and RTA Commissioner, their plea has fallen on deaf ears. "The Chief Minister, currently, not open to meeting regular citizens and is inaccessible, so visiting him will not solve our problems," said Syed Nizamuddin.

Annoyed by the non-responsiveness of the authorities, the members finally sat for a protest outside RTA office, shirtless. They were detained by the police and shifted to Goshamahal Stadium.

"The TSCBOA is the representative body of nearly 3,000 big, medium and small travel operators in Telangana State. Our industry contributes nearly Rs. 2,500 crore to the State's economy every year and it employs nearly 5-6 lakh people," Nizamuddin further added.