JOIN USWhen it comes to driving on the city roads, it is not just the potholed roads that the motorists have to bear with. The heavy trucks and lorries which occupy so much space on roads are also irksome for the road users.
The number of trucks / lorries registered in the city may not be high. Nevertheless, with the city being the capital, it serves as a major topographic point for many service deliveries leading to the movements of such heavy vehicles constantly on the roads, throughout the year.
Here are some statistics to ponder: From April 2013 to March 2014, as many as 2,654 new trucks/lorries got registered in Bengaluru. The total number of trucks in the city was 54,180 while last year it was 51,526.
Overall, there are 2,06,973 trucks/lorries registered in the state till March 2014. There is one explanation for the low registrations within the City. Transport department officials say that Bengaluru is a passing city for many heavy vehicles which get registered in neighbouring states. Thus, the actual registration may not reflect the exact number of such heavy vehicles seen in the city at any given time.
However, B Channa Reddy, president of Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners Association, insists that contrary to claims only four to five per cent of the city roads are used by the trucks. But if trucks carrying supplies and goods are not allowed in the city, the government should instead think of shifting the wholesale markets outside, he feels.