Kolkata: Transport organisations in West Bengal will go on an indefinite strike from 24 July to protest against a high court order asking to phase out all vehicles which are more than 15 years old.

The Banijya Poribohon Bachao Committee (Commercial Transport Protection Committee) -- a forum of 17 transport bodies of the state -- announced the decision after a meeting on Sunday.

The strike includes all public vehicles including bus, lorry, taxi and school bus.

“Government is doing injustice to us and without giving us a chance they have unilaterally decided to phase out 15 years old vehicles from 31 July,” Swarnakamal Saha, a member of the committee and secretary of the Bengal Taxi Association, said.

Reminded of the fact that it was a court order, Saha said the government had given a notification on 17 July and the court made it an order on the next day. “So it was the government’s version which the court ordered implementation of. We were not even given the chance to defend.”

“There is no law to ban the vehicles, rather the government can see if the pollution level of the vehicles is more than 65 hsu or not. Moreover, there are certain norms directed by the court only and if the vehicles maintain those, then they cannot be banned,” Saha said.