Ahead of Assembly polls, SAD president announces formation of Transporters Welfare Board

Ahead of the Assembly polls, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced the formation of the Transporters Welfare Board with a fund of Rs 25 crore and added that Coordination Committees would be set up comprising Truck Unions, trade representatives and government representatives to ensure that the interests of truck operators and the industry were protected.

Amritsar:Ahead of the Assembly polls, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced the formation of the Transporters Welfare Board with a fund of Rs 25 crore and added that Coordination Committees would be set up comprising Truck Unions, trade representatives and government representatives to ensure that the interests of truck operators and the industry were protected.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said that steps would be taken for the betterment of the trucking industry giving priority to local Truck Unions in tenders. "We will also stop the harassment of truckers by issuing annual stickers and ensure that no trucker is embarrassed in the name of checking papers on the way," he said.

He said that in addition to this, portable banks would be introduced to eliminate overloading on highways and special driving schools would be opened in all the district headquarters. In which young people will be issued driving licences for driving heavy vehicles. Weight checks will be carried out on the highway by bringing portable weighing scales and overloading will be eliminated.

Badal said that the SAD-BSP alliance was also aware of the plight of school van owners, who had to pay heavy taxes. "We will reduce the road tax for school vans," he said.

In a big relief for auto-rickshaw drivers, he said that if they form the next government, they would come up with a liberal scheme so that e-Rickshaws could be introduced instead of auto-rickshaws. He said that no registration fee would be charged for e-Rickshaws. He also announced that drivers, conductors and rickshaw pullers would also be provided with accidental and health insurance of Rs 10 lakh as well as Rs 3 lakh in case of natural death.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has announced the setting up of special driving schools at all the district headquarters for heavy driving licences so that the youth could be imparted training and get employment in the country and abroad.

Paramjit Singh, president, Transport Wing, Akali Dal, said that the President of Akali Dal, announced that Truck Unions would be restored, which were abolished during the Congress regime. "We will also ensure that there is no interference in the work of Truck Unions, including political interference, and rules will be laid down that only union members can become presidents of unions," he said.