Bookings for long distance trips on hold

Transporters will stop booking goods for the far off destinations from Tuesday. This was decided at Akhil Gujarat Truck Transport Association's (AGTTA) general body meeting in Ahmedabad on August 15.

"We have directed our local member associations to stop bookings for the long distance to avoid the trouble for the clients," Mukesh Dave, general secretary, AGTTA, said. The bookings for all destinations will be stopped from August 19, he added.

The local member associations are meeting on Tuesday evening to work out their strategy at the local level in case the negotiations at central level do not deliver the desired results.

"We have received intimation from our state level association to stop bookings for the far away destinations from Tuesday. Trucks traveling on long distance assignments normally take three to four days in transit. The vehicle should not be on the way while the strike is called to avoid damage to the goods and vehicle," said Madan Jain, president, VV Nagar and Anand Transport Association.

"The inflation rate is roaring between seven to eight per cent since last month. It will get further push if the service tax will be charged on transport industry as ultimately it is the customer who is supposed to foot the bill. Our demands are not only in our interests," said P M Waghela, vice president, AGTTA.

The transporters are also worried about the procedures they will have to follow once the service tax is imposed.

"There is not much skilled and literate man power employed in the transport industry. The transport procedure should be relaxed for the transporters by passing the necessary formalities over the clients like the tax deduction at source (TDS) system as companies have trained man power to get work done through," said Waghela.