Hundreds of trucks stay off roads

Associations that called for the strike said heavy goods vehicles and all other cargo vehicles have joined the indefinite strike.

However, reports from Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) say there was no huge drop in revenue collected at different toll gates. The Foundation, which is an independent body tracking truck transport since 1999, found that at 20 different toll gates, the revenue drop on the first day of strike was negligible.

Refuting any such claims, President of Karnataka Federation of State Lorry Owners and Agents Association G R Shanmugappa said: “I was at Attibele checkpoint. Out of the 7,000 heavy vehicles which pass through daily, only 653 have come today.”

He claimed the Karnataka Goods Transport Association and more than 80 associations took part in the strike.

He added that the associations, which are not taking part in the strike, are not officially registered. However, S P Singh from IFTRT said many vehicles and associations have virtually ignored the strike call.