Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Toll tax for bridges below Rs. 1 crore opposed

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA MARCH 31. The Andhra Pradesh Lorry Owner's Association has demanded scrapping of user charges and toll tax for all bridges with a construction cost of less than Rs. 1 crore.

The association general secretary, M.V. Subba Rao, said truckers in the State would go on indefinite strike from April 14 (April 13 midnight) as part of an agitation to achieve their demands.

He said the All India Motor Transport Congress had given a call for a strike on the same day in the entire country demanding that the Central Government cancel the proposed cess on diesel. The Transport Congress also demanded that the Centre regulate excise and custom duty to bring stability to diesel prices and transparency in price fixation.

The Transport Congress urged the Government to fix a minimum freight rate for trucks similar to the minimum tariff fixed for taxis and autorickshaws.

The Transport Congress demanded that the Central Government ensure that insurance companies follow the guidelines of the IRDA. The companies were refusing to underwrite commercial vehicles that were over eight years old and were collecting very high third party premium .

The lorry owners were opposed to the collection of road toll separately after collecting in full `road tax' and `cess on diesel'.

They damned the immediate amendment of the Carriers Act 1865 which had long since become obsolete. They were demanding implementation of Section 114 of the M.V. Act 1988 to check overloading and scrapping of the `golden token scheme being implemented by Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Gujarat, because the scheme was illegal.

The Transport Congress urged the Centre to come out with a national policy on replacement of old vehicles by giving concessions in excise duty and sales tax. The transport sector should also be given interest free loans for replacing old vehicles.

Mr Subba Rao said the State association had a separate charter of demands. Scrapping of user charges and toll collection for bridges costing less than Rs 1 crore topped the list of demands in its charter.

He said the State Government should stop the illegal cess being collected by municipalities and gram panchayats and ensure that the implementation of VAT in the State had no impact on the prices of diesel, vehicle tyres and spare parts.

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