Transporters' strike evokes lukewarm response on Day 1 as few truckers shun work

A three-day strike by truckers against environment cess in Delhi-NCR saw a lukewarm response on the first day, with only a few trucks staying away from work despite AIMTC claiming massive support.

The three-day strike announced by All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) against environment cess across Delhi-NCR evoked lukewarm response on the opening day on Thursday with only a few truckers staying away from work, even as AIMTC claimed that the strike call received 'massive support'.

AIMTC is seeking rollback of an increased environment compensation cess on commercial vehicles and revoking ban on those with BS-IV or earlier-stage emission standards.

AIMTC in a statement claimed that under normal circumstances, nearly 70,000 trucks enter Delhi daily through various entry points across the National Capital Region.

''However, during the protest period today, only around 100–200 trucks entered Delhi, most of which were already in transit or on the route before the strike commenced.

''This clearly reflects the massive participation and success of the strike and strong agitation amongst the transport fraternity against the unjust policies,'' the transporters' body claimed.

AIMTC claims that it represents approximately 95 lakh truckers and 26 lakh private bus, taxi & maxi-cab operators along with over 3,500 taluka, district and state-level transport associations, unions & federations on pan-India basis.

''We hope that the government awakens to the gravity of the situation, empathizes with the genuine concerns of the transport fraternity, and initiates constructive dialogue to resolve these issues in a fair, practical and sustainable manner,'' AIMTC said.

Countering AIMTC's claim, Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training ( IFTRT) senior fellow and coordinator S P Singh said that AIMTC's ''unwarranted'' strike call fell flat as since midnight May 20-21 till 7 am Thursday, almost 5,000 diesel trucks carrying fruits and vegetables and general merchandise have entered Delhi through 13 key entry points.

Already in last two days, over 11,000 diesel trucks have brought excess cargo by paying ECC to have buffer in APMCs in Delhi to easily last for 4-5 days debunking the coercive ''Chakka jaam'' threat by AIMTC.

Last month, the Delhi government increased the environment compensation cess (ECC) on commercial vehicles by over 50 per cent and decided to implement a 5 per cent annual fee hike.

Effective April 19, the fee on light commercial vehicles and two-axle trucks has been increased from Rs 1,400 to Rs 2,000, while the charge for three-axle trucks and heavier vehicles has been raised to Rs 4,000 from Rs 2,600.

AIMTC has said these measures have caused serious socio-economic consequences, severely impacting the transport sector and livelihoods of operators.

It has said that CAQM and the Delhi government have indiscriminately imposed the ECC on all Delhi-bound goods vehicles, rather than charging only the transit vehicles in line with the Supreme Court's order.

It has pointed out that ECC is levied even on vehicles carrying essential items into Delhi, as well as on the empty vehicles which come to Delhi for loading.

AIMTC stated that ECC is also being levied on BS VI vehicles, which are cleaner vehicles allowed by the CAQM even during the enforcement of the stricter pollution control restriction, Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV).

It has also alleged that the proposed ban on the entry of BS IV commercial vehicles in Delhi lacks a scientific basis and legal rationale.

The transporters' body has demanded that BS-VI vehicles, those carrying essential commodities as well as the empty vehicles, be exempt from the ECC levy.