Bangaloreans, brace for more inconvenience. After autos, trucks have now called a five-day strike from Sunday which may disrupt supply of vegetables and fruits sparking a price jump.
More than 22 lakh goods carriers will be off the roads in the state from the midnight of August 1 to August 5. The strike is announced by the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners Association (FKSLOA) to protest against the rise in toll tax on national highways for their maintenance. Truck owners of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry will also join the protest.
The strike will affect markets in the state dealing with consumer goods. Perishable food will be more hit than other goods. “Other than milk, goods like vegetables and fruits are a matter of concern.
If they do not reach the city, there will be scarcity forcing prices to soar in the coming weeks,” said NS Srinivasa Murthy, president of Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Bangalore.
“I just hope and pray that the matter is settled within a couple of days,” he said.
Supply of medicines would not be a matter of concern as they could be carried in buses and cars if needed, he said. But commercial goods like sand and cement would not be transported to the city. Hence, the under-construction projects would have to wait until the Centre resolved the toll tax issue.
BV Narayanappa, secretary of the FKSLOA, said: “Toll taxes on national highways are being increased at regular intervals in the name of their maintenance. The central government has given the charge of collecting taxes and maintenance of highways to private companies. They are showing false figures and collecting money through toll tax, which is not justifiable.”
Toll taxes have been increased from Rs1.45 to Rs4 per vehicle at every toll point on the newly constructed national highways. The federations of lorry owners had complained to the Centre that the National Highways Act of 1956 has been amended frequently.
Despite paying heavy toll taxes, truck owners say that drivers are inconvenienced by curves at every kilometre of the highway which act as hurdles for them. For instance, the highway in Hubli has 68 curves and the toll collected has surpassed Rs600 crore during the last 15 years.
The toll tax collected was in the name of maintenance which was false tender that the private companies, who are in charge, have shown to the central transport ministry.
The federation’s head GR Shanmugappa had earlier met the All India Lorry Association president Pramod Dutt and discussed the matter. If transport minister TR Balu refused to agree to their demands, the federation would withdraw all trucks, jeeps and other goods carriers from the roads across the country, he warned.
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