Maharashtra: School Bus Strike Deferred After CM's Assurance But Goods Transporters Vow To Continue Protest Over E-Challans

The School Bus Owners’ Association, in coordination with several state-level passenger bus associations, has decided to postpone its proposed statewide strike, which was scheduled to begin on July 2. However, despite appeals from the Transport Minister, a section of goods transporters remains firm in their decision to go ahead with their protest.

The decision to defer the school bus strike was announced by Anil Garg, President of the School Bus Owners’ Association, on Tuesday. The move comes after a formal assurance from the Maharashtra Chief Minister and Transport Minister to address the grievances raised by transport unions over what they describe as “baseless and forcibly imposed e-challans” by traffic authorities.

“The Chief Minister has invited our committee members for a formal meeting to initiate discussions on the issue. We are hopeful of a constructive dialogue,” the association said in an official statement. The decision to call off the strike was made after an internal meeting, following the receipt of a written communication from the Chief Minister’s office.

Despite school bus owners withdrawing from the protest, the situation remains tense in the goods transportation sector. A section of goods transporters is firm in their decision to go on strike under the banner of the Vahatukdar Bachav Kruti Samiti.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Motor Owners’ Association (Regd.) has announced its full support for the indefinite strike initiated by the Vahatukdar Bachav Kruti Samiti.

This protest is focused on the complete rollback of previously issued e-challan fines a move similar to one recently enacted by the Uttar Pradesh government. The protesting transporters argue that the e-challan system is excessively punitive and financially burdensome for vehicle owners and operators.

“We expect the Maharashtra government to follow the example of Uttar Pradesh and waive old fines issued through the e-challan system. This is our principal demand,” said Kailas Murlidhar Pingale, President of the Maharashtra State Motor Owners’ Association, who announced full support for the Vahatukdar Bachav Kruti Samiti on Tuesday.

The agitation, which began with a sit-in at Azad Maidan on June 16, has gained considerable momentum over the past two weeks. By June 25, support had swelled to include school and staff transporters, urban transit operators, Uber drivers, long-distance private bus services, and various sectors of the transport industry.

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Despite a visit from Industry Minister Uday Samant and a directive from Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to form a committee to look into the e-challan issue, transport unions say the government has failed to act within the promised 15-day period.

"The ongoing strike is expected to cause widespread disruptions in logistics, goods supply chains, and intercity freight movement in the coming days if no immediate resolution is reached," said a leader of the Vahatukdar Bachav Kruti Samiti.