Unable to cope with the steady hike in fuel prices and toll rates, truckers have planned to go on a token strike on December 20, demanding an increase in freight charges.
Nearly 3 lakh vehicles across the State, including 30,000 trucks in the city, will suspend operations on that day.
This effectively means the city will see a freeze in the delivery of all goods, from pharmaceuticals, to petrol, vegetables, fruits and private drinking water supply. However, since the strike is just for a day, representatives of the industry said it may not heavily impact the day-to-day life of Chennai residents.
Transporters in the city said that while the industry was over-burdened with a steady increase in costs – of tyres, insurance, fuel and toll, freight charges have not been increased on par with the rising costs for the past two years.
P.V. Subramani, president of Chennai Goods Transport Association, said “We need an increase of 22 per cent in freight charges to handle our losses. Since our charges are inadequate, we are unable to pay rent to lorry operators. Several companies have not renewed contracts for two years.”
This has had a cascading effect, with several lorry owners suspending operations. In the past few months, about 30,000 vehicles in the State have been seized for not paying dues to finance companies. About 10,000 more truck operators have suspended operations across the State due to escalating expenditure, he said. The trade is also plagued with a dearth of vehicles and drivers.
The Association has also sought the support of groups in Hyderabad, Cochin and Puducherry as well as the Confederation of Surface Transport, for the strike.
R. Sugumar, president of the Confederation in Tamil Nadu, said that fuel prices have gone up by nearly 30 per cent since last year. But transporters are forced to deliver goods at the same rate, and this was the crux of the problem, he said.
