Truckers plan stir from August 8

Truckers in the Southern States and Maharashtra are planning to go on an indefinite strike from August 8. The strike was called against the recent hike in the diesel prices and they were demanding that the government implement toll concession, which was agreed to in 2010. The proposed strike is expected to cause losses to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore a day to the government and Rs 5,000 crore in the four southern states as there will be no movement of cargo.

V Chennakesavan, district president and state treasure, Lorry Owners’ Association, told Business Standard around 2.2 million trucks will be off the road from the mid-night of August 8. Around 1.6 million trucks from the Southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry and 600,000 vehicles from Maharashtra will be off from the roads.

 

“This would create a loss of around Rs 2,500 crore to the government,” said Chennakesavan. The proposed strike is expected to cause a loss of Rs 5,000 crore to the economy, with cargo movement and from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry getting affected. The truck owners want the Government to implement toll concession which was agreed in 2010.

“Though they have agreed, in 2010, they did not implement so far,” he said.

The Government agreed to reduce the toll charges by 50 per cent, if the truck operates within the district. “They are also charging toll for six ways, while the road is only four ways, in some parts of Tamil Nadu, he said.

The Truck owners also protesting against hike in the third party insurance which rose by 69 per cent. Earlier, truck owners were paying Rs 6,400 which was now increased to Rs 11,800, said Chennakesavan. On the diesel price, he said, “we have been making asking the Government to reduce the price for long time, but still they haven’t heard”.

Earlier All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) president GR Shanmugappa said that the hike in diesel prices was unwarranted for the time being.

The government had increased diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre on June 25 and it had also announced that diesel prices will also be market-determined in due course, as in the case of petrol now.