Truckers threaten to continue strike, govt refuses to budge

New Delhi: Apex transporters body AIMTC will continue its strike on Friday, disrupting supply of goods to various parts of the country after the government refused to scrap the existing toll system.

"We will continue our strike tomorrow as the government has failed to pay any heed to our demand. The electronic-toll collection system as promised by the government is not practical," All India Motor Transport Congress President Bhim Wadhwa told PTI on Thursday.

Demanding scrapping of the existing toll system and one-time payment of taxes and simplification of TDS procedure, truckers proceeded on an indefinite strike on Thursday morning.

Wadhwa said AIMTC has 87 lakh trucks and 20 lakh buses and tempos across the country under its fold and is not ready to withdraw the strike unless some practical solution is made.

While supply of essential commodities like milk, vegetables and medicines have been kept out of the purview of the strike, its impact was seen in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, among other places.

While appealing to the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) to call off the strike earlier in the day, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said the toll system can't be scrapped.

"It is up to them to continue their strike. The government cannot scrap toll. We have already assured to implement electronic tolling system pan-India by December. I appeal to them to call off the strike," Gadkari told PTI.

Another truckers body, All India Transport Welfare Association (AITWA) has decided to keep away from the strike.

Gadkari said the government is committed to delivering good highways to transporters and is serious that they do not have to wait at toll plazas.

"E-tolling project of the government is a failed concept... Even their pilot project has failed. The partnering banks like ICICI and Axis Bank too have distanced themselves from the project," Wadhwa said.

"Our indefinite strike is successful as per reports coming from all parts of the country," he said, adding that "the strike has caused about Rs 1,500 crore losses to truckers and over Rs 10,000 crore loss to the government on the first day".