South Goa truck owners warn to keep vehicles off road
Ask mining cos to hike rates
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CURCHOREM, OCT 13
The South Goa Progressive Truck Owners Association has threatened to keep all the trucks off the roads indefinitely from October 24, if their demand of increase in rates is not hiked by the mining companies by October 25.
This was disclosed by Association President Prakash Raut Dessai during a press briefing at Curchorem on Monday. Vice President Raghunath Naik, Secretary Satyawan Gaonkar, Treasurer Cajitan Fernandes, Assistant Treasurer Naziano Fernandes, Joint Secretary Laxuman Dessai, Shivaji Tilve and others were present on the occasion.
“Our demand is that the rate of transporting ore should be Rs 20 per tonne per km, which is four times the present rate,” stated Raut Dessai.
“The Association has also decided not to carry ore more than 10 tonnes per trip. The RTO and concerned government officials issue challans to the truck drivers if the load is more than 10 tonnes,” he said.
“The permit of the truck will be cancelled if three challans are received by any truck in a year,” he added.
“Presently, the contractors pay the amount of challans and when trucks are taken for annual fitness, the truck owners are shocked to know that the permit of his trucks is cancelled by the RTO officials if they have received three or more challans,” said Raut Dessai.
He further said that the list of demand has already been submitted to the directors of transport and management of mining companies and if any one wanted the copy of the list, they are free to approach the Association.
“The Association is concerned about the life and health of the general public. We neither want to overland the trucks nor are we interested in reckless driving, which cause accidents provided we get the rate we have demanded,” said Raut Dessai.
“In fact, the public should be held responsible to the government for whatever hardship they face presently,” he claimed.
“The roads are the same. The government does not seem to be interested in constructing the proposed four lane roads or the bypass roads for mining traffic,” he said.
The All Goa Mining Truck Owners Association has extended its support to the South Goa Progressive Truck Owners Association of stopping the transport if their demands are not met by October 24, he added.
