The result is a staggering loss of Rs 100 crore a day.

The truck operators estimate the loss at Rs 80 to 100 crore a day for the truckers in Karnataka. 

The APMC yard in Yeshwantpur, Chamarajpet, Kalasipalya, T R Mill, Nelamangala, K R Puram and Hosur Road were filled with the vehicles on day one of the stir. The worst hit are the logistical staff who are usually daily-wage workers.

With taxi cabs/cars supporting the strike, the IT/BPO and corporate firms based at ITPL (Whitefield) and Electronic City, chose to rely on the BMTC  for transportation facilities for their staffers on Saturday.

“More than 400 buses have been hired by companies like Toyota Kirloskar, Aviva, Infosys, Wipro, Honeywell Technologies, Hewlett Packard, First Source, Web India, Fidelity, ITC, Microland, Seemanth Technologies, Volvo India” said Dastagir Sherieff, chief traffic manager (Operations), BMTC. It has also introduced 200 additional vehicles to its 100 night service buses. Though the strike entered the second day, supply of commodities including LPG remained unaffected on Saturday.

 Senior officials in IOC said, “So far, we have not been affected. But if the stir continues, it will have a big impact.”  IOC supplies about 120 truck loads of cylinders daily to the Bangalore Market.  Officials also added that movement of trucks/tankers supplying fuel to bunks was also close to normal.

“There will be a marginal increase in prices if the stir continues beyond Monday” said Bheemasena Bankad, general manager, HOPCOMS.

CONSIGNMENTS NOT LIFTED
Railway stations in Karnataka are affected indirectly due to the ongoing truckers protest. At the Satellite Goods terminal at Whitefield station, three rakes (trains) containing consignments of foodgrains and cement were stationed due to the nonavailability of lorries to transport them to their destinations, said Anil Pavithran, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore division.  According to B S Dasarathi, Chief Public Relations Officer, labourers were not available to unload the goods from trains. “The labourers who unload goods from trains and load them onto lorries did not report for work due to the truckers protest. So, everything is piling up at unloading platforms. Consignments which managed to be unloaded had no place to go.

One rake full of foodgrains was stationed at Tumkur station. Goods trains packed were stationed at Hubli and Gadag too.