Transporters threaten to go on indefinite strike

Transporters and truck and bus operators have threatened to go on an indefinite nationwide strike from April 5 midnight against the proposed hike in fuel prices and to press for their various demands.

Transporters and truck and bus operators have threatened to go on an indefinite nationwide strike from April 5 midnight against the proposed hike in fuel prices and to press for their various demands.

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Bal Malkit Singh, president of the Bombay Goods Transport Association (BGTA) said: “The provisions of the Union Budget have made it very tough for transporters to make their business economically viable.”

“We have appealed to the government about it and if they do not consider our demands by March 31, we will be compelled to stop operations of all 70 lakh trucks that are running across the country from midnight of April 5,” Singh added.

BGTA is one of the biggest associations in the western region with a membership of 1,350 transport companies in Mumbai who ply about 10 lakh vehicles across the country.

Transporters had also been on a strike last year, but had called it off after Prime Minister manmohan Singh intervened.

“The demands agreed up on last year are yet to be fulfilled,” Singh said.