Members of the Coimbatore Lorry Owners’ Association staged a protest here on Friday to bring to focus their various demands. They are on strike from March 30.
The association president, S. Kaliaperumal, and the secretary, N. Murugesan, led the protest.
They said that they wanted the Union Government to reduce the third party insurance premium. They now pay around Rs. 25,000, and it has been raised to about ₹ 48,000.
The State Government had raised the fee to be paid for hypothecation of heavy vehicles, and cancellation. It had increased the fee for driving license for heavy vehicles, besides increasing VAT on petrol and diesel.
The worst was the decision to ban vehicles that are more than15 years old.
Around 60 per cent of the vehicles on road were more than 15 years old and taking them off road would amount to many transporters losing business, they said.
