JOIN USAll Goa Public Transport Operators Federation, an umbrella organization of 23 associations, today claimed the support of 20,000-odd vehicles, which would be off the roads for a day.
"The entire transport system in the state would be paralysed. We are forced by transport department to take such a drastic step," the All Goa Bus Owners Associations Secretary Sudip Tamankar told reporters on Wednesday.
Goa transport department, reacting to the strike call, has said that the government is in the process of reviewing HSRP implementation and transporters need not overreact.
The committee headed by Chief Secretary S K Srivastava is reviewing the entire process. The government will take appropriate decision on it soon, State Transport Director Arvind Lolienkar said on Wednesday.
The agitation is likely to impact the tourism sector as tourist taxis operating at the airport and also at railway stations have joined hands with the strikers.
The operators was irked over the implementation of HSRP which forces them to shell out additional money. They alleged that State Transport minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar under the guise of Supreme Court order implementation is forcing the new number plates on the operators.
The Federation members threatened to intensify their agitation if the state government continues with the implementation, they will resort to indefinite strike.
The HSRP issue had figured in the recently concluded state legislative assembly session wherein the Opposition benches had accused state government of indulging in a fraud while tendering these plates.
Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar had managed to take an assurance from the Chief Minister Digamber Kamat that he would review the entire tendering process.
Director Transport Arvind Lolienkar today said that the state government is scrutinising the legality of the process.
"We have sought the information on various queries from state governments of Meghalaya and Sikkim where such plates exist," he said.
The committee is slated to meet on September 9 again to take the decision on the issue, Loliekar added.