Lorries and trucks in the country, which carry food items, oil and other consumer goods, have announced a nationwide strike to protest against the heavy fines under the amended Motor Vehicles Act. While All India Motor Transport Congress has called for the strike, Tamil Nadu Food, Oil and Tanker Lorry Owners Association said it will join to register their disagreement. The strike has been called on September 19 from 6 am to 6 pm.
Speaking to TNM, Janakiraman, the secretary of the association in Tami Nadu, said that lorry owners and drivers are protesting against the exorbitant fines. The association has around 4.75 lakh lorries under its wing.
The lorry strike across the country would disrupt the supply of essential items such as milk, vegetables and fuel, among others. Even though the strike is for 12 hours, the shortage in supply might extend to two days, especially when it comes to perishable items.
“The new hefty fines are just to fatten the pockets of the RTO officials,” he alleged. Clarifying that while the union accepts heavy penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol, it is the penalty for overloading trucks that has ruffled a lot of feathers among the fraternity.
“Earlier, the fine for overloading was Rs 1 per kilogram. But now, it is Rs 20,000 for overloading and an additional amount of Rs 2,000 per tonne overloaded onto the vehicle,” he says, giving an example, “A lorry, which has a carrying capacity of 10 tonnes but is carrying 20 tonnes of goods, will be fined Rs 40,000 totally."
Stating that the association is not against the penalty for overloading, Janakiraman alleges that RTO officials are using this hefty penalty amount to extort bribe from the gullible lorry drivers.
“On the ground, the RTO officials are levying the fine and are demanding us to pay half as bribe to let us go without paying the fine,” Janakiraman alleges. He also says that it would be fair only if the fine is levied on the person or company that sends the consignment and the lorry operator, too, equally rather than just penalising the carrier alone for the mistake.