Container trucks remained off roads in Tuticorin on Wednesday as vehicle owners expressed discontent over the new regulation on transportation of cargo to container terminal at Tuticorin seaport.
S. Varadharajan, secretary, Tuticorin District Container Truck Owners’ Association, said the recent notification issued by Customs authorities here and implemented from Tuesday raised concerns among the owners. As per the new regulation, stakeholders of container freight stations in the city should arrange transportation of cargo with their own logistics to prevent any cargo smuggling, he said.
Normally, these container vehicles, which largely rely on port activities, were engaged in hauling cargoes with the support of Custom House agents or shipping companies, which outsourced logistics from the association. With this new regulation in place, not only owners of these vehicles, but drivers, cleaners and shipping agents would lose their livelihood support.
To continue movement of these vehicles, which were halted since Wednesday morning, the administrators of container freight stations should enter into contracts with the vehicle owners. A meeting involving the members of the association and National Association of Container Freights Stations, Tuticorin, and clearing and forwarding agents was scheduled to be convened here, and based on the outcome the truck owners would decide whether to withdraw or continue the strike. Around 500 trucks were engaged in transportation of cargo here, he noted.
C. Karthikeya Prabhu, convener, Logistics Panel of Confederation of Indian Industry, Tuticorin, told The Hindu that any container vehicle hauling factory stuffed cargo sealed by Central Excise authorities should be allowed to move up to the destination point of container terminal at the port. Whenever cargo-laden trucks halted at a container freight station to shift cargo, the exporters had to bear additional cost of around Rs. 5,000 for shifting cargo from a 20-foot container truck and Rs. 7,000 for a 40-foot container truck, he said.
Thirteen container freight stations and one inland container depot are functioning here.
