Punjab: Small commercial vehicle owners protest against unlicensed “Jugaadu Rehras” on Ludhiana-Delhi National Highway

KHANNA: Small commercial vehicle owners, under the banner of United Trade Union Punjab, staged a protest near Khanna on the busy Ludhiana-Delhi National Highway, demanding action against the unauthorized use of “Jugaadu Rehras” – motorcycles fitted with carts.
The protest caused a brief slowdown of traffic on the highway before the demonstrators moved to the sides, where they continued their protest for over two hours.
The protestors, who later submitted a memorandum of demands to the authorities, expressed their grievances against the growing presence of “Jugaadu Rehras,” alleging that these makeshift vehicles were operating without proper permission from the government. According to Harjinder Singh, the President of the Union in Khanna, these unauthorized vehicles were inflicting substantial financial losses on the small commercial vehicle owners who had invested significant sums in purchasing licensed commercial vehicles, paid taxes, and obtained permits.
“Our businesses are suffering because of the operation of ‘Jugaadu Rehras,’ which evade any financial contributions to the government through taxes or other fees,” said Harjinder Singh.
Assurances were given by the concerned authorities to the protestors that action would be taken against the unauthorized vehicles. However, the Union made it clear that they would escalate their movement if no substantial measures were taken.
As the protest call by the Union was anticipated, the police had made adequate security arrangements to prevent any blockage of the national highway. DSP Khanna, Rajesh Sharma, reported that although the protestors attempted to block the highway, they were promptly stopped from doing so. Subsequently, the protestors continued their demonstration on the slip road for approximately two hours before submitting their memorandum.

The issue of “Jugaadu Rehras” has sparked concern among small commercial vehicle owners, who believe that the unauthorized operation of these vehicles undermines their legitimate businesses and poses challenges for the government in terms of tax collection and regulation.
The authorities now face the responsibility of addressing the concerns raised by the protesting commercial vehicle owners and implementing measures to regulate and control the usage of “Jugaadu Rehras” on the Ludhiana-Delhi National Highway. The situation remains under scrutiny, and further developments are awaited as the authorities undertake their promised action against the unauthorized vehicles.