The All India Motor Transport Congress has said the supply of essential goods will get impacted with immediate effect
New Delhi: Government’s suspension of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination notes has hit the truckers hard as they are unable to transport essential food items, including milk and vegetables, due to scarcity of smaller denomination currency and unacceptance of old tender notes by state authorities, toll plazas and labourers.
More than 20 crore people are associated with the sector.
Aggrieved industry representatives said truck drivers across the country are unable to purchase diesel using old currency notes and given the limited availabiltiy of new currency, they don’t have enough money to buy fuel.
The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), which is an apex body for transporters in the country, has said that the withdrawal limit of Rs 10,000 per day and Rs 20,000 per week has paralyzed the transport business, which is coming to a standstill.
Supply of essential commodities, including milk, vegetables, fruits and medicines will get impacted with immediate effect, said the AIMTC in a release.
The body said that the sector is facing an acute financial crunch as 80% of its operational costs is cash-driven. Movement of goods and passenger vehicles has also been impacted as tourist buses and cabs are supposed to pay taxes in cash at state borders.
With acute liquidity crunch, transportation services (both cargo and passenger segment) in the country are poised to come to a standstill, the truckers’ body said.
The Delhi Transporters’ Association has echoed similar thoughts, saying the trucking business is largely cash-reliant for its en-route expenses that include fuel purchase, toll payments and covering costs for truckers’ boarding, vehicular repairs and payments to loaders and unloaders.