16 lakh trucks go off roads in Telangana, Andhra

About 16 lakh trucks went off the roads in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday as part of the nationwide indefinite strike by the truckers to protest against the present toll system.

Responding to the call given by All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), truck operators' associations in both the Telugu states joined the strike, affecting the movement of goods.

However, essential commodities like milk, vegetables and medicine have been kept off the purview of the strike.

Movement of goods to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur and other major towns was badly affected by the strike.

AIMTC is demanding scrapping of toll system terming it a tool of harassment. It also rejected the government's offer for electronic toll system by December. The truckers' body is also demanding one-time payment of taxes besides simplification of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS).

The truck operators in the two Telugu states are also seeking a single permit system in view of the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh. They want Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to have single permit agreement so that vehicles can play between the two states on payment of a fixed tax.

The truck owners are also demanding an end to harassment by transport authorities at check-posts in the name of overloading of vehicles.