Bhubaneswar, May 20: Five days after private bus owners threatened to go on strike, the All Orissa Truck Owners’ Federation (AOTOF) Wednesday threatened to launch a state-wide stir from midnight of June 9 if the government fails to meet their 11-point demands.
If the government fails to resolve the contentious issue, over 1.3 lakh trucks in Orissa would go off roads and cripple essential transport services significantly across the state.
The circular issued by transport commissioner Chandrashekhar Kumar stating fitness certificate and permit of a truck would be terminated if a vehicleit meets with an accident, triggered a controversy with the truck union demanding withdrawal of the notice.
Truck owners’ union secretary Rabi Satpathy told this newspaper that permits and fitness certificate of trucks should only be cancelled in accordance with the law.
“If a motor vehicle inspector finds a truck unfit to ply then the vehicle’s fitness would be terminated. The circular is gross injustice to the truck owners’ as it would put their livelihood in jeopardy if the permits and fitness certificates are cancelled if a truck meets with an accident,” he rued.
Satpathy also raised objection to another circular making driving training mandatory for heavy vehicle drivers at Heavy Vehicle Driving Training Institute at Chhatia in Jajpur district.
‘‘This is hard to understand that why drivers would have to undertake training in a particular training institute in Jajpur. Poor drivers from far off places like Korapaut, Sampalpur and Jeypore among others cannot go to Jajpur for this,” he said, alleging the institute is being run by a private firm.
The AOTOF also demanded a freight rate revision which has not taken place since 2008. “A technical committee formed by the state transport department had suggested revision of freight charges thrice but the government did not pay heed,” he alleged.
When asked why truck union is silent on overloading by heavy vehicles, Satpathy instead blamed police for this, saying the police are minting money from drivers doing overloading. “Take punitive action against truck drivers doing overloading according to the law,” he added.