About 70 lakh commercial vehicles across India will go off the roads from April 5 if the Centre does not meet their owners’ demands. The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) has conveyed its intention to the government, threatening an indefinite strike.
In a statement, AIMTC President G.R. Shanmugappa said, “We have given notice to the Centre saying that unless our demands are addressed before March 31, we will be left with no alternative but to close our operations from April 5”.
The demands include implementation of the new National Permit Scheme and levy of uniform toll on national highways.
Issues such as the increase in diesel prices, non-implementation of national permits and the imposition of anti-dumping tax have put the truckers under immense pressure to increase freight rates. In a meeting convened by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with the transporters for March 23 in New Delhi, AIMTC members asserted that they want a concrete assurance from the Centre regarding their demands.