Transport strike: Cities brace for commuting woes as drivers protest against Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill

The All India Motor Transport Organisation has called for a 24-hour nation-wide strike on Tuesday, August 7, and is demanding the withdrawal of the proposed Motor Vehicle (MV) (Amendment) Bill. All the affiliated state organisations were expected to participate in the strike, but several autos, buses and app-based have been plying as usual in many cities. 

LIVE UPDATES

• Cargo-carrying vehicles in Karnataka are off roads in Karnataka. 
• The drivers' union have planned a rally from Town Hall to Freedom Park in Bengaluru and they will also submit a memorandum to the government.
• Roads in Wayanad, Kerala, also are empty and cabs have stopped plying. 

• Airlines have also issued advisories to flyers about the strike, asking them to plan their travel well in advance. 
• "Due to transport strike in Kerala on 07th August, guests travelling from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram & Kozhikode may face transportation issues. We request all guests to plan their travel accordingly," Jet Airways tweeted.
• The Telangana auto drivers union have also decided to join the bandh.
• The drivers' union have planned a rally from Himayathnagar to Raj Bhawan in Hyderabad at 11 am.
• The all Odisha Transport Workers' Federation has also decided to support the bandh. 
• Federation president Janardan Pati has said that that the Bill is anti-people and anti-employees, and added that buses, trucks, taxis and autos would stay off roads on August 7.
• The Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill says that branded company spares are to be used and this would affect small-scale enterprises in the automobile manufacturing sector and dealers. The Bill adds that servicing and repairing works would be done in company service centres only, following which lakhs of roadside mechanics will lose their livelihoods," the New Indian Express quoted him as saying. 
• Driver unions participating in the strike are also protesting against the constant rise in prices of petrol and diesel. 
• They also want the hike in insurance premium to be revoked.
• In Bengaluru, BMTC and KSRTC buses are plying as usual
• People in Kerala too have been facing issues as Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has joined the 24-hour bandh

• Haryana Roadways State Transport is participating in the bandh and the state vehicles have stayed off the roads.
• The Panchkula bus stop wore a deserted look.

• The strike doesn't appear to have affected the city of Bengaluru and autos, buses and cabs were plying as usual. 
• Speaking of the strike, Rudramurthy, general secretary, auto drivers' union had earlier told the Times of India: "About 1.5 lakh autos in will not operate other unions, too, have extended support to the protest."
• It was earlier being said that some auto and cab unions had decided to stay off roads between 6 am and 6 pm.