Goods transported by train goes up post lorry strike
Goods transportation by trains has more than doubled from Coimbatore due to the ongoing nationwide lorry strike.
By : migrator
Update: 2018-07-26 20:33 GMT
Chennai
“Bookings for goods movement in trains have recorded a sudden jump over the last one week as lorries went off the road. Usually, goods weighing 40 to 45 tonnes would be sent daily from Coimbatore through lorries, but after the strike, trains are taking around 90 tonnes of goods from the district on a daily basis,” said a railway official from Salem Division of Southern Railways. The officials said that perishable goods like vegetables, textile products, motor pumps, and engineering products were being sent by train to Kerala, Delhi, Mumbai and north Indian cities.
On Friday alone, 414 tonnes of goods were sent by a special goods train comprising 18 wagons to Delhi from Coimbatore. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Association has resolved to move the court against the ongoing strike.The association’s president Sella Rasamani said to the media in Namakkal on Thursday that they have extended support to the lorry strike, but were not taking part in the protest.
“Specific days are allotted for us to receive sand from quarries through the online booking system. If we fail to get the sand on the fixed day, it would then result in a huge loss,” he said. Rasamani said that due to the strike, Tamil Nadu has incurred a loss of over Rs 20,000 crore in the last seven days.
“Hence the state government should insist the centre to hold talks with the lorry associations to end the strike. The All India Motor Transport Congress should also adopt alternative ways of protest to exert pressure on the centre,” he said. The sand lorry owners have decided to move the court if the centre fails to resolve the issue by holding talks with the protesting lorry owners.
EPS writes to Gadkari to resolve strike
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday wrote a letter to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to take immediate steps to resolve the ongoing lorry strike.
In the letter, Palaniswami stated that more than 4.5 lakh lorries and trucks, registered in Tamil Nadu, are involved in the strike since July 20, and as a result more than 10 lakh people in the state, who are directly and indirectly dependent on the lorry industry for their livelihood, are being affected. Many perishable commodities like vegetables, flowers, eggs and poultry from various parts of the state are stagnating due to the ongoing lorry strike. There is a danger of increase in the price of essential commodities and continuance of this strike might result in shortage of essential commodities in the state.
“I therefore request your immediate intervention in the issue to resolve the strike and to pave the way for uninterrupted transport of goods,” stated Palaniswami.
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