Truckers' resolve shown signs of waning

Truckers, who are protesting against the installation of speed governors in all public transport vehicles, on Monday expressed their readiness to withdraw their strike if the recommendations of the high-level committee headed by Tamil Nadu transport minister K N Nehru are implemented.

The committee, which submitted its report recently, had recommended that the Centre should withdraw from the states the power to direct installation of speed governors in public transport vehicles.

Members of the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners and Agents Association who held discussions with Union minister for road transport T R Baalu in New Delhi on Monday urged the Centre to support their request to the Supreme Court to stay the Karnataka High Court order which had set June 30 as the deadline for installing speed governors.

"The Supreme Court will hear our case on Tuesday. If we get some relief from the court, we will withdraw our strike," association secretary B V Narayanappa said.

The softening of stand by truckers comes against the backdrop of the mounting pressure from the state government and the non-cooperation from other public transport associations like that of taxies and maxicabs.

The Bangalore Tourist Taxi Operators' Association and the Karnataka Maxi Cab and Motor Cab Operators Welfare Association ended their strike on Monday and resumed operations following the transport department's threat to withdraw the tax concessions extended to taxies.

Along with the threat from the transport department, the taxi operators engaged in IT-BPO industry-related logistics were losing business to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) which had chartered its buses to companies.