Transporters mull chakka jam

Following the announcement of a hike in diesel fare, transporters are in the mood to agitate again.

After the Bombay Goods Transport Association (BGTA) threatened to protest on Friday, the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), an apex body of transporters in the country, said that details of the series of agitations to be held against the diesel tariff hike will be announced on Tuesday.

“There will be chakka jam agitations across the country. Essentials will not be affected but  transporters will not conduct their routine business,” said president of AIMTC Bal Malkit Singh. “To finalise details of this agitation, we are meeting on Tuesday morning. Details of our course of action will be announced at a press conference in Dadar by afternoon.”

This would mean that after Tuesday, non-essential commodities transported to the city will not be available and there will be blockades set up on select stretches of the highways.

On Friday, transporters had said that the latest fuel hike has made diesel more expensive in Maharashtra than in other states. This would mean an additional burden of 15 to 20 per cent on transport costs.

The BGTA had threatened to take their vehicles off the road to force their demand of effecting a roll back of the hike. The Rs5 hike will translate into a rise of Rs6.2 per litre including taxes in Maharashtra.

“The difference in the price of diesel in Mumbai and Delhi is now Rs6.50 per litre. Sales tax is about 8 per cent in Punjab and 12.5 per cent in Delhi, but 24 per cent in Maharashtra plus cess of Re1 per litre with other taxes, which brings the total to almost 43 per cent,” BGTA president Sunil Kalesaid.