West Bengal truckers announce 72-hour strike over overloading and illegal fees
Times of India | 10 September 2024
NEW DELHI: Truckers in West Bengal have announced a 72-hour strike from Wednesday over several issues, including a demand to ban overloading.
The Federation of West Bengal Truck Operators Association (WBTOA) declared that the strike will start at 6am on Wednesday and could impact the supply of essential commodities ahead of the festive season.
Subhas Chandra Bose, an office-bearer of the FWBTOA, stated, "The strike will begin from 6am on Wednesday." He mentioned that despite repeated requests to stop the overloading of goods, the problem persists due to certain truckers and officials.This practice, according to him, deprives truck owners of fair transportation fees, damages roads and vehicles, and increases the risk of fatal accidents.
Truckers have also complained about illegal fees being charged at weighbridges in some districts, such as Birbhum and Coochbehar, amounting to Rs 236 per truck, to permit overloading. They indicated that approximately 3 lakh out of the estimated 7 lakh trucks in the state are out of service because of low cargo volume. Additionally, they claimed to face harassment from police and land revenue officers in several districts.