PONDA: The Dharbandora truck owners met the local MLA Deepak Pauskar on Wednesday and demanded that ore transportation rate be increased from Rs 10.39 to Rs 15 per tonne per km. 

In a memorandum submitted to the MLA, the truck owners complained that the business of transporting ore is no more profitable and affordable to them due to limited mining; besides, there are thousands of truck owners in the business, as such, each truck gets only three trips in a week.

They also complained that due to speed governors and limiting the speed to 40 km per hour, they are forced to spend more money on fuel and maintenance. 

Stating that since the mining business runs for only seven months in a year, the truckers demanded to concession in road tax; they also raised concern over increasing insurance premium.

The truck owners were led by Balaji Gawas and Yashwant Gawas, the president and secretary, respectively, of the Dharbandora Taluka Truck Owners Association.