Striking truckers to meet Jaitley today

 Striking goods transporters on Thursday said they will decide on intensifying the protest after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi on Friday.

Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners’ and Agents’ Associations president G R Shanmugappa said representatives of various associations who are on strike protesting the massive hike in payments for third-party insurance will meet the Union minister as well as officials of  Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) which is responsible for the hike. “Our message to the government and IRDAI officials is clear: roll back the hike if you want to end the strike. If they fail to address our demand, we will intensify the protests,” Shanmugappa told reporters on the sidelines of a protest in Freedom Park.

Shanmugappa warned that failure of talks with the Union government will lead to complete shutdown of goods transport from April 8. “We have not resorted to such measures since children need to travel to write exams. It won’t be the same from Saturday. We will ensure no lorry will ply if the government doesn’t do justice,” he said.

Radhakrishna Holla, president of Bangalore Tourist Taxi Operators’ Association that has supported the strike, said the imposition of toll on 19 state highways should be stopped immediately. “We have already taken up the matter with the state government. The government cannot join hands with private companies to exploit the public,” he said.