Salem, Tamil Nadu:
Nearly 6.55 lakh trucks will be off roads in Tamil Nadu from Thursday in response to the indefinite nationwide strike call given by the All India Motor transport Congress, an official of a state truckers body said.
Speaking to reporters in Salem, Tamil Nadu lorry owners Federation treasurer Chennakesavan said no lorries would ply from 0600 hours on Thursday. Agents had already stopped booking of goods to northern states, he said, adding nearly one crore drivers and cleaners would be affected by the stir.
A Coimbatore report said about 25,000 lorries in the district would keep off the roads, affecting daily business of Rs 100 crore.
This would seriously affect transport of essential commodities, vegetables and goods and also construction materials, Coimbatore District Lorry Owners Association president, Kaliyaperumal, told reporters.
While lorry owners would tend to lose business worth Rs 1.5 crore, government would also lose an equal amount of revenue daily, he said.
"Totally there will be a loss of Rs 100 crore business daily in the district," he said.
Besides the lorry owners, thousands of others would be affected both directly and indirectly, he said.
Transporters' body AIMTC, which claims to represent 93 lakh truckers and 50 lakh bus operators, had announced an indefinite nation-wide strike from October 1 against the toll collection system, saying it has become a tool for corruption and harassment.
The AIMTC has maintained that it is ready to pay a higher toll, but that should be collected as indirect tax because of harassment by different agencies.