Lakhs of trucks go off roads, food prices might increase
About 90L trucks are expected to go off the roads in India today as owners and operators began an indefinite strike, said Channa Reddy, president of the All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners' Associations. Truckers are protesting rising fuel prices and hikes in third-party insurance premiums. The strike is likely to push up prices of fruit and vegetables as supply will be hit.
Protesters want petrol and diesel brought under GST ambit
Elaborating on their demands, Reddy said, "The government's argument is that fuel prices increased due to international prices. However, we think the reason is high taxes levied by the governments." In just May, prices of petrol and diesel increased by Rs. 4 per liter. Sajal Ghosh, Joint Secretary, Federation of West Bengal Truck Operators' Association, has demanded inclusion of fuel in GST.
Demands for IRDA to de-tariff third-party insurance premium
Truck owners are also protesting the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority's (IRDA) decision to hike third-party insurance premium by up to 30%. This cost is calculated based on previous years' accident costs and age factor of vehicles. "To stop the increase, we have requested the IRDA to de-tariff the third-party insurance premium. But the authority has not responded to our demand," Reddy said.
Prices of perishable items likely to go up
Apart from these, truckers in different regions have their own issues. In Mumbai, they are miffed with toll charges. In WB, they have alleged excesses by officials of the police and Motor Vehicle Department. Though HT reports the impact of the strike hasn't been stark in places like Mumbai, supply of perishable items like fish, eggs and spices is likely to be affected.
