The chakkajam (vehicle strike) called by transporters and workers threw the traffic out of gear in the Kathmandu Valley for several hours Saturday.

The agitators blocked traffic movement between Kathmandu and Bhaktapur and along the Arniko Highway since early morning to protest the manhandling of a transport worker by the police yesterday. Several passenger buses bound for Sindhupalchowk, Sindhuli and Ramechhap from the capital have been stranded along the Arniko Highway.

Agitating transport workers obstructed the traffic at Koteshwor, Jadibuti and Lokanthali by placing buses on the road.

Intensifying their protest, transport entrepreneurs and workers called chakkajam in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and parts of Bhaktapur from 2:00 pm, which literally paralysed the traffic system in the capital for hours.

After continuous disruption of traffic, irate local residents of Koteshwor and Lokanthali had vandalised a dozen buses parked on the road to block the traffic. In another incident, some half a dozen protesting transport workers were injured as they clashed with police at Koteshwor at around 10:00 in the morning.

The chakkajam was called off in the evening after an understanding between the protesters and the police officials. Police officials at a meeting held at the Home Ministry agreed to check mistreatment against the transport workers.

The transporters had called the strike to protest the manhandling of driver of a bus (Ba-1-Kha 7461) by the police at Kousaltar yesterday following a complaint by passengers.