He alleges that the finance minister had not consulted them before taking the decisions that affect the transport industry.

State-owned vehicles do not need to obtain a VET, but the certificate charge for private vehicles has been raised to Rs. 5,000, he notes.

Also, the vehicle ownership tax has been increased unfairly to Rs. 10,000 for buses and Rs. 15,000 for cars, says Wijeratne.

A letter of protest will be handed over to the minister today (23), and if no favourable response is received, all unions and organizations will get together for a big protest, he says.

It appears the entire budget is a fraud, he adds.