Mumbai bus operators protest e-challans, to hold hunger strike on Thursday

Passenger bus operators across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR will stage a oneday hunger strike on Thursday to protest what they have termed the ldquounjust and unlawfulrdquo enforcement of the echallan system by the Maharashtra Traffic Police and Transport DepartmentThe protest will be organised by the Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatana MBMS along with other transportersrsquo associations from 11 am to 5 pm outside the offices of the District Collector Mumbai Suburban District and the Transport Commissioner Maharashtra in BandraThe association has also extended its support to a parallel hunger strike being led by Pradeep Rathod on behalf of the Transportersrsquo Coordination Committee in KolhapurTransporters list 18 demandsIn a press release issued on Wednesday MBMS listed 18 demands concerning the enforcement of echallans and traffic regulations against passenger transportersAmong its key demands the association has sought the immediate release of a report prepared by a governmentappointed subcommittee following transportersrsquo agitations in 202425It has also demanded a timebound implementation of the recommendationsTransporters have called for adequate parking facilities and designated pickup and dropoff points instead of relying on echallans to penalise vehicles for stopping or parking in areas without proper infrastructureDemand action against lsquoarbitraryrsquo enforcementMBMS has sought a clear policy under the relevant Section of the Motor Vehicles Act to hold Motor Vehicle Officers and Traffic Police accountable for alleged arbitrary enforcement or violations of existing court and departmental ordersThe association has also demanded an immediate end to the collection of penalties on the road and sought action against officials who allegedly violate the rulesIt has called for the cancellation of echallans issued without adequate evidence including those lacking photographs of the alleged violations as well as challans pending for more than 90 daysTransporters seek transparency in echallan systemThe association has demanded that the government conduct awareness campaigns before implementing new echallan rules and ensure that the necessary infrastructure is availableMBMS has also opposed the alleged use of traffic enforcement primarily as a revenuegenerating mechanism and called for Traffic Police to focus on road safety traffic management and disciplineOther demands include ending the practice of marking vehicles as ldquoNTBTrdquo Not To Be Transacted holding drivers directly accountable for offences committed while driving and ensuring that enforcement equipment such as speed cameras and speed guns have valid calibration and certificationThe transporters have further sought access to certification and calibration records and said challans issued using uncertified or expired equipment should be declared invalidlsquoEchallans should be for traffic safety not revenuersquoMBMS has also demanded mandatory bodyworn cameras for Traffic Police and Transport Department officials citing an assurance reportedly made by the Chief Minister during the Maharashtra Legislative Assemblyrsquos Winter Session in December 2025The association said transporters were not opposed to complying with traffic laws but wanted enforcement to remain focused on road safety and public interestldquoEchallans should be for traffic safety not for revenue collectionrdquo MBMS said urging the state government to take an immediate decision on its demandsThe statement was signed by Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatana president Harsh P Kotak and secretary KV Shetty