Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 11: Scores of transporters today protested against the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) for refusing to re-register the vehicles they had purchased outside of the Union Territory.
The transporters gathered in front of the Srinagar Regional Transport Officer’s office and raised slogans in support of their demands, which included restarting the vehicle re-registration process and replacing old vehicles.
They carried placards that read, “Work within the rules” and “Stop having an arrogant attitude”. “For the past 12 months, we have been unable to register the vehicles we purchased outside the Valley. We have been informed that the matter is sub-judice. On the other hand, the court ordered the government to impose a 9% registration fee last year,” a protestor said.
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He questioned why they were being denied re-registration when ARTO Anantnag, which is within the purview of RTO Srinagar, was doing so.
The protesters said that they were not opposed to the law and that they were prepared to pay the 9% registration cost. “We are not demanding a job; we are demanding our rights. We are prepared to pay the registration cost, which will assist the government in raising about Rs. 50 crores in revenue,” another protestor said.
They claimed that the re-registration process has been hindered for the past year, which has cost them significantly. “We have missed one season as a result of this, and we are going to suffer the same fate this year as well,” a driver said, adding that they are finding it difficult to run their families under the present circumstances.
The protestors claimed that after receiving assurances from higher authorities, they ended their protests in November last year. “We had approached higher authorities for the redress of several demands, and some of the demands were even fulfilled,” a driver said.
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