The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Transport strike hits City

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Transport strike hits City

Staff Reporter

25,000 lorries, vans go off the roads in Chennai, nearby districts According to All-India Motor Transport Congress president R. Sugumar, 2.5 lakh lorries and vans did not run in Tamil Nadu.

CHENNAI: More than 1,000 activists from Left parties and trade unions struck work on Tuesday protesting the hike in fuel prices.

The demonstrations and striking of work in the city were part of the nation-wide agitation seeking a rollback of the petrol and diesel prices.

Party members, trade union workers, youth wing and transport union activists, lorry and autorickshaw drivers staged demonstrations in front of Central Government offices in Ambattur, Flower Bazaar, Teynampet, Tiruvotriyur, Redhills, Tiruvallur road and Kunrathur.

Arrested

Nearly 900 protestors, including 150 women, were arrested by the police from the Flower Bazaar area. They were let off in the evening.

Leaders of the CPI, CPI(M), CITU, AITUC, the All-India Motor Transport Congress and Chennai Perunagar Motor Vahana Thozhilalargal Sangam participated in the protest.

According to All-India Motor Transport Congress president R. Sugumar, 2.5 lakh lorries and vans did not run in Tamil Nadu.

"Nearly 25,000 vehicles also struck work in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts," said Mr. Sugumar.

Revenue loss

Other than revenue loss, Chennai Port Trust container lorries, 80 petrol tankers that supply to the Chennai airport and 600 tankers of three major oil companies did not run, he added.

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