BBC reports:
Correspondents say that with 70% of goods being transported by truck across
Television footage showed goods that would normally have been transported by the vehicles being stacked at farmers markets, docks and warehouses.
"As of now, no orders are being booked, no loading or delivery is in progress," Mukesh Dave, the head of the lorry drivers' association in the western state of Gujarat, told the Press Trust of India.
Due to rising oil prices, Indian government had cut subsidies and raised diesel prices. Already, the number of trucks is higher than necessary. Moreover, the truck owners are losing their customers to the train service. At this stage, increasing service charge means losing further customers. The rising cost of diesel is eating away their profits. The Indian truck owners, like Sout Korea, are now protesting against the price hike. In addition, they are asking to reduce road taxes and other types of taxes. Analysts are saying that there is going to be no easy solution regarding this problem. In the meantime, Indian transport minister, TR Baalu, requested the truck drivers to call off the strike.
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