Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Association, Trailers Association Call for One Day Strike on 22 July

Mr N Manoharan, the President of Tamil Nadu Trailers Association said that the strike was called to highlight the difficulties that owners are facing thanks to the increasing fuel prices. In addition, the government has ignored the Associations request for road taxes to be waived off for the lockdown period.

The 14th of July saw the Tamil Nadu Trailers Association stage a demonstration outside the Regional Transport Office in Chennai, demanding that road tax for commercial vehicles be waived off during the lockdown period.

The Association also said, on 14 July that they would call for a strike on the 22nd against the increasing price of fuel.

Mr V Monoharan, a member of the Tamil Nadu Trailers Association asid, "Lockdown was for all, the driver, cleaner and common men. When vehicles are not running on the road during the lockdown period, how can we pay road tax? Also, the fuel price is rising day by day. Today the price of diesel is Rs 81 per litre, how can we survive now?"

The Tamil Nadu Government had notified the Madras High Court on 10 July that it could not afford to waive off road tax for the lockdown period because it would lose Rs 1,724.43 crores in revenue.

The Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Federation had requested the government to waive off road tax saying that its members suffered losses during the lockdown, and had to deal with increasing prices of fuel and corruption at state border checkposts.

Thoughts About The Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Association And The Trailers Association Calling For A Day's Strike

The trucking community, and the Road Transport Industry has not been doing too well since the lockdown was called for. Very few trucks carrying essential goods were allowed on roads across the country, while a majority of trucks have been out of work for months in a row. We think the government needs to address this situation as soon as it can, before things take a turn for worse.