Mumbai: Truck drivers down South will go on an indefinite strike from August 18, protesting against high toll taxes, among other reasons.
"There will be a truck transport strike from August 18 in the southern states and Maharashtra will give moral support to the strike," former president of the Bombay Goods Transport Association (BGTA) Bal Malkit Singh told a news agency here, adding that gradually the strike would be effected across all states.
"They are protesting against the high toll taxes, the high third-party insurance on vehicles, high diesel prices and anti-dumping duty on imported tyres," Singh added.
The third-party insurance claim has increased by 68 percent since 2008, which is hurting truck owners, he said, adding the truck owners wanted a withdrawal of third party insurance or atleast a reduction in it.
It’s mandatory for a vehicle-owner to obtain third party insurance to provide insurance cover to others in case of injury or loss of life.
He said the strike would be against the high diesel prices with owners wanting an uniformity in diesel prices across all states.
The anti-dumping policy on imported tyres had resulted in domestic tyre manufacturers increasing their cost which affected the owners, he said, adding that the owners wanted the government to withdraw this clause on anti-dumping.
The government had imposed provisional anti-dumping duty on the import of non-radial tyres, tubes and flaps for bus and trucks, to protect the domestic industry.
PTI
