With reference to the interesting piece, "Why freight moves so slowly on Indian roads" (January 5), it is remarkable that the writer, Akshat Kaushal, travelled from Gurgaon to Panvel to understand what ails freight movement in the country. I suggest he now travel from Kolkata to Mumbai or Kolkata to Bengaluru; he will find more reasons for the slow movement of goods in India. Even in the case of transportation of vegetables and fruits there appears to be little consideration -most of these go to waste on the way.
India cannot afford to lose precious perishable food due to poor management of the much-criticised infrastructure, in particular roads, and bribery. Tomatoes and bananas were both selling for Rs 5 a kg in areas outside Bengaluru last month even as their prices in the rest of the country were much higher. Lack of both transport and reasonable support prices made farmers near Bengaluru destroy their produce. It is a shame that farmers in the Mysuru region were offered only Rs 2 per kg for their bananas by middlemen. Frustrated, a farmer told some villagers to take the bananas from his field for free. As the villagers could carry only a small quantity of the bananas on their shoulders, the rest had to be destroyed!
Perhaps the truck drivers transporting the goods should be grateful that the well-oiled machinery does not harass them once bribes have been paid. Road transport offices across states should fix a uniform fee to allow passage of goods vehicles. This will curb bribes and delay.
It is sad that the drivers are paid such low salaries. Will goods vehicle owners ever be considerate of their plight?
Gopal Sutar Bengaluru
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