Transporters from Maharashtra to join strike

Maharashtra truck and tempo owners will join the nationwide indefinite strike, which begins on August 21, to protest the imposition of service tax on the transport companies announced in the Union Budget.

A total of 16 transport associations in the state would join the strike, Daljit Singh, president, Maharashtra Truck Owners' Association, said here on Wednesday.

Trucks, tempos and oil tankers will all stop plying from Saturday and the associations have already stopped booking of vehicles from yesterday, he said adding, loading of any vehicle will not be accepted from tomorrow.

The strike would affect the supply of all essential commodities, including medicines, petrol and diesel, he said.

Mahendra Arya, president of the Bombay Goods Transport Association, said they had no other choice but to go on strike even though they knew that it would cause inconvenience to the public and increase the prices of essential goods, especially in the metropolis.

"The major objection we have is that the railway freight tariff has been left untouched, giving rail transport an edge over road transport," Arya lamented.

Besides the nationwide indefinite strike from August 21 to protest the imposition of 10.2 per cent service tax, the transporters are also protesting on issues such as hike in diesel prices. Trucks bound for over 1,000 km had already stopped plying from yesterday.