Bhubaneswar: Even as demonestisation has resulted in a jump in use of credit and debit cards, the POS (Point of Sale) devices installed at toll booths have not been able to solve the cash crunch.
Although, these devices help in cashless payments, there is still a lack of trust among the truck drivers, most of whom are not very technically literate, about the possible misuse of these electronic devices.
“I am not an educated person. So I am very worried when I give my debit cards at toll gate. I usually leave the toll gate only after the next card transaction,” said Debraj Panda, a truck driver at Rasulgarh.
According to truck divers almost 40 per cent of toll plazas in the state have POS. However Orissa POST has not been able to independently verify these figures.
But, many truck owners opined that Centre needs to do more on the use of POS as they were not confident about using them.
“Although, moving towards cashless economy is appreciable it has been implemented in a hasty manner. It is a fact that majority of the truck drivers are illiterate and there is need for awareness to make these drivers confident about the card payment system,” said Bhubaneswar Goods Transport Association (BGTA) president Niranjan Praharaj.
Demonetisation has adversely affected the goods transport sector. Before demonetisation, around 500 trucks used to enter the capital daily with goods but the number has fallen by almost 50 per cent since the November 8 decision, affecting the transportation industry.
“If the situation continues the sector will be badly affected,” added Praharaj. PNN
