Proposed lorry strike called off in Bengaluru

Movement of essential commodities, construction material to continue from 11 am to 4 pm

Goods transporters have called off their proposed indefinite strike following an agreement they reached with the Bengaluru police, here today.

The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) chairperson G R Shanmugappa said: “We have decided to drop our plans to go on strike because the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, M N Reddi has agreed to allow all kinds of goods transport vehicles like lorries above three tonnes capacity and tempos, among others, inside Bengaluru city between 11 am and 4 pm.”

For all other commodities, all goods vehicles are allowed to enter and exit the city from 11 am to 4 pm, in addition to the night time movement that’s already allowed now.

Consequent to the multi-level discussions with industry and trade associations, vehicle owners and transporters’ associations and resident welfare associations under the banner of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), the IGP and Commissioner of Police-Traffic has consented to permit vehicles to carry essential commodities including pulses, food grains and food products on a 24X7 basis, the FKCCI said in a statement.

The state government had earlier on January 3, 2015 issued a circular stating that lorries above the three-tonne capacity will not be allowed inside the city during the day due to heavy traffic and pollution. The movement of heavy vehicles was restricted in the city from 6 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm. It had told lorry operators to move their goods inside the city only during the night hours.

Subsequently, the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association had threatened to launch an indefinite strike from the midnight of January 16 if the government did not withdraw its order. The strike would have resulted in suspension of movement of around 70,000 goods vehicles and caused enormous delays in goods movement, including essential commodities like food grains, vegetables and fruits and medicines. Besides these, the movement of construction materials like sand, cement and steel as well as automobile parts would have halted.

“It would be better if the traders and the APMC Yard shift from Yeswantpur to somewhere outside the city as the city has grown big. The lorry owners are also ready to move out of the city along with them. I urge the government to take some action in this regard,” Shanmugappa demanded.

He said, an average 1,000 lorries arrive at the APMC yard every day, apart from 400 to Kalasipalya and 200 to K R Market. Around 1,500 trucks enter the city from Tumakuru Road and over 1,000 from Hosur Road.

Around 3,000 trucks transport goods to Yeswantpur APMC market yard every day during the peak hours and half the number during non-peak hours. An estimated 10,000 headload workers (Hamals) work at the APMC yard.