The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) has held out the threat of an indefinite truck and transporters’ strike in the country from August 1 to protest against the "exorbitant" increase in tolls.
Even the Southern India Motor Transport Association (SIMTA) has announced its intention of going on strike from the same date.
"The truckers and transporters in the southern states will stop their operations from midnight of August 1," said AIMTC President, Mr G.R. Shanmugappa. "We will join the agitation if no action is
taken," he added. South India truckers, he pointed out, were suffering more than those in other parts of the country because the toll was very high and is levied on every highway.
AIMTC’s stand was that because of the public-private partnership (PPP) model followed by the Centre in highway construction, the private companies were charging a far higher toll and transportation companies were being forced to bear it. The Association demanded that the government intervene to bring some parity in the toll. The truck strike in the southern states could trigger a similar response in the Delhi-NCR region. The transporters’ strike coming during a time of soaring food inflation may certainly lead to widespread ramifications. At least 10 important food commodities ranging from coconut, garlic and bananas are transported from various parts of southern India to the rest of the country.
Source: Exim News Service, New Delhi, 14 July 2010