Brakes on e-commerce as truckers go on strike in Gurugram, essential items spared for now

GURUGRAM: Truck services were suspended in Gurugram district on Friday owing to the indefinite strike observed by Gurugram Transport Welfare Association, following the call by India Confederation of Goods Operators Association (ICGOA) and All India Motors Transport Congress (AIMTC).
Even though Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) commissioner V Umashankar has assured the striking truckers he will look into their demand — permitting light motor vehicles into the city — they are continuing with the strike, to lend support to the nationwide strike by ICGOA and AIMTC. In fact, the agitators indicated the strike would intensify Monday onwards.

Hukum Chand Sharma, president of Transport Welfare Association (TWA) and Haryana Transport and Truckers Association (HTTA) indicated the strike will intensify from Monday onwards, when they plan to prevent private buses ferrying employees of private firms, as well as trucks carrying essential items such as medicines, milk, vegetables, etc., from plying in the district.

“We met GMDA commissioner V Umashankar, demanding the embargo over entry of light four-wheelers such as Tata 407 be lifted. This was imposed sometime back in Gurugram city, and was creating a lot of problems and losses for various industries. We are happy the commissioner assured us the problem will be resolved soon,” he said.

Bhagwan Das, member of TWA, said trucks that had already left from different states with essential items were not stopped on Friday. “It was the delivery of cars and four-wheelers, belonging to companies that manufacture here, which were mainly affected, as well as delivery of products of online shopping websites,” he said.

Sharma said there were other issues, such as increment in third-party insurance premium, increase in diesel prices, issues related to GST, etc., owing to which transporters have gone on strike. “Transporters have to pay Rs 8/km as toll charge and road tax for diesel vehicles, which is causing massive losses that run into thousands of crores. The Centre must completely free transporters of road tax,” he said.

He said though transportation of essential items would get severely impacted from Monday onwards, but school buses would be exempted from the strike.