Maharashtra: Demand for lorries on downslide in new lockdown-like curfew

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Transporters on Wednesday raise the red flag with the state government, stating that they had not recovered from last year's losses and the new restrictions were literally killing their industry. They said they expect demand for lorries to go down by nearly 50 per cent.

"Curfew and prohibition on shops has led to subdued business and as per our estimate, demand for trucks will soon go down as much as 50 per cent. The road transport sector has not yet recovered from 2020 lockdown, and the fresh one has triggered another setback. The shops are closed except those dealing in essential items. The total weekend lockdown and prohibitory orders under CrPC 144 with night curfew will further subdue the demand and consumption," Bal Malkit Singh, chairman, core committee and former president of the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC)

"This will further cripple the poor truckers as they are already in the financial crises. They must arrange for taxes, insurance, salaries for workers and drivers, establishment and administrative costs and EMIs. The low-capacity utilization on account of dwindling demand will constrict their cash flow and working capital. Night curfew and entry restrictions will cause delay in movement of essential commodities and in many cases may lead to expiry of e-way bill, thus attracting hefty penalties," he said.

As the Maharashtra government had helped the transport sector during lockdown in 2020, we request it to take up with the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India to go lenient. It should plan relief measures for truckers like waiver of state taxes, permit and fitness fees, free parking for idle trucks and buses, priority vaccination for drivers and workers in transportation space, etc. so that the truckers and transporters could sustain their families.

Transport department officials said that there was no need to fear as the supply chains would not be touched in the new lockdown and essential services, food stocks and transport had already been exempted and hence there was no need for immediate panic.