Truckers demand online payment facility at state borders

With their cash drying up and vehicles stranded at highways post the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, a truckers body today asked the government to facilitate online fund transfers for payments at state borders.
In a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Hydraulic Trailers Owners Association (HTOA) has also asked the government to increase their daily cash withdrawal limit from current account to Rs 5 lakh from current Rs 50,000 per account.
"Our trailers are over-sized vehicles and the taxes which we have to pay at various states depend on their size and dimensions. The state transport authorities are not accepting the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. We should be allowed to make online fund transfer or through cheques or demand drafts," HTOA chairman Bharat Gandhi said.

HTOA has 70 members across the country with each member having a fleet of 5-6 trailers.
He said a trailer has to pay around Rs 40,000 as tolls, state entry fee for every single transport of goods.
Gandhi said since the authorities are not accepting old notes, trailers are stranded which is resulting in to a business loss of Rs 100-125 crore for fleet owners as well as for the clients for whom they are transporting goods.
HTOA has also requested to make all tolls free till December 31, 2016.
The government today said no toll would be charged on national highways till the midnight of November 18. It has extended the earlier deadline by four days.