The Hindu : LPG supplies may be hit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

LPG supplies may be hit

By Our Special Correspondent

NAMAKKAL April 14. About 1.5 lakh goods carriers, including trucks, vans, lorries, tankers and trailers in Tamil Nadu went off the road today in response to the nationwide indefinite strike called by the All-India Motor Transport Congress.

The Namakkal Taluk Lorry Owners' Association alone accounts for 18,000 vehicles, including 3,500 LPG tankers and 2,750 trailers. As LPG tankers too participated in the strike, it will affect supply of cooking gas in the days to come.

The poultry industry has been affected as the daily production of over one crore eggs would result in stock accumulation.

The president of the Salem District Lorry Owners' Association, Chennakesavan, said the strike was total in the district, in which even tempos participated.

According to the State president, Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners' Federation, P.Sengodan, hoped that the Government would resolve the issue without delay.

He said the transport industry was passing through a bad patch and the new conditions imposed by the Government time and again made operating trucks an unviable proposition.

Mr. Sengodan said it had been a longstanding demand that the Government fix minimum freight charges on kilometre basis, which would help even small operators survive competition in the shrinking market.

The Federation unanimously endorsed the following demands of the AIMTC: diesel prices must be streamlined; when truck operators paid road tax and other levies, there was no need for collecting toll on bridges and roads and security charges for highways in the name of `Rahdari' pass.

It also demanded that Sections 113 and 114 of the Motor Vehicle Act be implemented in letter and spirit. (These sections provide for unloading excess load at the point of checking itself.) It criticised insurance companies, which did not adhere to guidelines set by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. The companies arbitrarily increased premium by 100 per cent and stopped collecting third-party insurance premium.

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