Lorry owners urge CM to convene talks

They are planning an indefinite strike from December 27

Lorry owners in the State have appealed to the Chief Minister and the Transport Minister to call them for talks immediately to address their charter of demands and avert an indefinite truckers’ strike from December 27.

The strike call, given by the State Lorry Owners’ Federation, Tamil Nadu, has received the backing of the South Zone Motor Transporters’ Welfare Association (SIMTA), an apex organisation of truckers, transporters and passenger vehicle operators.

‘Last resort’

Addressing the media in Tiruchi on Monday, SIMTA general secretary G.R. Shanmugappa said the lorry owners had been pressing the State government to concede their eight-point charter of demands for the past six months, and had decided to go on strike as the last resort.

It takes three to four days to obtain a fitness certificate for goods vehicles in the State. However, the certificate is being issued in three to four hours in Karnataka, he claimed.

Nearly 1.5 lakh vehicles from Tamil Nadu are being registered in the neighbouring State due to this problem, leading to the loss of several crores of rupees for the Tamil Nadu government, Mr. Shanmugappa alleged.

The lorry owners have appealed to the State government to bring in a system whereby the fitness certificate could be obtained from any Regional Transport Office after an inspection of the vehicle, instead of having to take it to the place where it was purchased.

Mr. Shanmugappa said the price of diesel was lower in Karnataka and Puducherry, and urged the State government to reduce VAT to bring down the price of the fuel.

The lorry operators were generating revenue to the tune of ₹4,000 crore to ₹5,000 crore for the government by way of taxes and GST. It was disappointing that the Chief Minister had not called them for talks yet, he said, adding that they felt ignored.

He blamed the Transport Minister for pushing them towards an indefinite strike.

Mr. Shanmugappa said that around four lakh lorries will stay off the roads in the State from December 27. Lorries from other States too will not enter Tamil Nadu. Even mini trucks and other small vehicles, numbering around 12 lakh, will not run in the State, he added.