With entry tax introduced in 2012, truckers were forced to hike their transport rates and the whole cost of transporting flowers, medicines, logistics, and equipment got even costlier. The double axle Volvos and their whole undercarriage space have made way for bus operators to carry goods – including two wheelers, cartons, furniture, flowers for florists, perishable items and clothes, thereby causing a huge dent in the trucker’s business.
“The demand to transport materials from Hyderabad to Goa dropped by almost 60% with the number of buses plying increased on this route. All the traders choose the bus since they have to pay a small token fee and everything goes unchecked, including alcohol. On account of this, our business has suffered terribly,” explains Jaidev Menon, a logistics and transporter who operates on the Goa- Hyderabad-Bangalore route.
Similarly, Jeena D’Costa, a medicine supplier, pointed out that she keeps in touch with pharma suppliers in Mumbai and gets Chemotherapy and expensive cancer treating drugs for a discount of over Rs 15,000. “All these are sent in an icebox through Paulo travels from Mumbai and delivered to the patients but the overnight journeys make a big difference and hence, pharmas chose the bus route rather than transporters.”
Paulo travels and other bus operators do not want to discuss or comment on the fact that they eat into courier and transporter’s business by plying goods on their buses and assert that it’s not an issue or reason for the animosity or violence or attacks on bus operators.
