Truckers plan bandh against Vadodara civic body

Truckers is all set to launch a new round of strike against the Vadodara Municipal Corporation octroi department.

The Baroda Road Transport Association (BRTA) is mobilising the support of transporters' of other major cities of the state such as Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Jamnagar.

"The transporters are suffering a lot due to the unjustified procedure of octroi department. The officers demand unloading of the entire consignment to verify the paper work with the loaded goods. This practice is not followed in any other municipality where the octroi is levied", said P M Waghela, president, BRTA. The trucks are taken to vehicle pool and unloaded at transporter's cost, said Waghela.

The procedure of unloading and loading the goods back consumes a whole day.

The transporters in Vadodara have stopped bringing their vehicles in to the town. They now unload the goods in warehouses that fall out of octroi department purview.

The Association has also asked other truckers union to support it in protesting against the Vadodara Municipality.

"We would meet other transport associations and ask them to maintain a one-day 'bandh' as a token support to our movement,' said Waghela.

However, Akhil Gujarat Truck Transport Association (AGTTA) dose not seem much impressed with the idea of another round of strike, after the week-long strike against the imposition of service tax.

"We do sympathise with the Vadodara truckers, but protesting through strike is not the only solution. It is advisable that the truckers as well as the municipal authorities bring the solution on their own by discussing the concern issues on table. The economy as well as the tranporters already has suffered heavily due to the recent strike," said Mukesh Dave, general secretary, AGTTA.