Though close to 10,000 trucks come in and go out of the city everyday, the city's infrastructure has not kept pace with the logistical requirements, said P. V. Subramani, president of the Chennai Goods Transport Association.
With nearly one lakh tonnes of goods being moved inter-city every day, there was an urgent need for proper parking and pit-stop facilities across the city, he said.
Addressing media persons on Wednesday, Mr. Subramani said, “transporters have made repeated requests to the government to open a Transport Nagar that can function on a build-operate-transfer mode. The existing CMDA truck terminal in Madhavaram is not equipped to handle the volume of traffic.” P. K. Agarwal, secretary of the association, said, “access to proper sanitation and resting facilities is non-existent for drivers. Besides, they are regularly abused for creating traffic snarls as they park on the road.”
According to him, a common emergency patrol number that one can call in case of an emergency would ensure the safety of both the driver and goods in transit. He added that there was a need for a centralised database of driver's licence.
To focus on areas such as transportation infrastructure, tax reforms and international practices, a seminar ‘Transfuture' will be organised in Chennai on April 24 by the association.
