Transporters Reduced Fare Due To Decrease In The Business

The transporters claimed that their business has come down to just 35%, and rising fuel rates put extra pressure on them. 

The transporters in Rajasthan have reduced fare up to 20% for moving goods because no business is happening due to the lockdown. Apart from this, the high fuel rates in the state have forced them to compete with other vehicles where diesel rates are cheaper, due to which out-of-state trucks are charging less for transportation. 

Anil Arora, Jaipur Transport Operators Association president, said, "We are incurring huge losses since the pandemic hit. It has reached such an extent that now we are forced to reduce the transportation cost so that we can get at least some business. For example, if earlier we used to charge Rs 20,000 from jaipur to agra, presently the toll has been reduced to Rs 17,000. In addition, previously, we used to take products on return trips also but these days trucks have to return empty many times because there is no production so raw materials are not even transported. "

The transporters claimed that the business has come down to just 35%, and rising fuel rates put extra pressure on them. Anil Arora added, "Per day cost of each vehicle comes around Rs 5000 and with rising diesel prices we haven't any option instead to decrease transportation fare because it's better to have a vehicle at work than to be parked. In fact, the more heavy vehicles a transporter has, the greater will be the loss as the EMI for each truck also has to be paid every month, irrespective of whether there is a business or not. Besides, in any condition we also have to pay 6 types of taxes such as goods tax, road tax, green tax and others which dent profits, especially during this time."

Also, transporters had written to the state transport minister asking to declare them as frontline workers as the movement of heavy vehicles is still allowed with no restrictions despite lockdown in the state. They also said that most of them are yet to be vaccinated and requested the government to provide similar facilities for them as they were at risk of exposure to the virus due to the nature of their work.