The Hindu Business Line : TN lorry owners seek govt action to end harassment

Coimbatore, Nov 22 The State Lorry Owners’ Federation-Tamilnadu (SLOF-T) has requested the Tamil Nadu Government to end the harassment of lorry crew at check-posts in the state’s borders and on the highways.

It also wanted the Centre not to insist on heavy vehicles having national permits to have two drivers.

A resolution passed at the General Council (Mahasabha) meeting of SLOF-T held at Namakkal, said that it was learnt that steps were taken, under Sec 304(A) of IPC, to suspend the vehicle permit and the licence of the driver of vehicles involved in accidents which, the council feared, would crush the transport industry.

It pointed out that accidents occurred due to various factors and the drivers alone could not be held accountable for it. It was regrettable that the vehicle licences should to be suspended temporarily and it would be a blow to the vehicle owners who had invested borrowed funds. In another resolution, the council said that in the name of inspection report, the transport department officials levied a fine of Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 every month at the check-posts located at the state’s borders and any query in this regard elicited the reply that they have been `fixed a target’ and they have to meet it.

SLOF-T said vehicle operators were paying various levies and any check post-wise target to collect penalty would cause them further hardship and it wanted the state government to direct the officials to stop this “forcible collection”.

The council pointed out that there was shortage of lorry drivers now and fixing any minimum educational qualification for getting driving vehicle licence would lead to further shortage and wanted the Tamil Nadu government to scrap the rule.