The long wait for trucks on the highways due to closure of borders following the lockdown seems to be easing slowly with many states allowing the vehicles to enter. However, vehicles only with essential commodities are getting the go ahead, and the long queue still continues on the highways, says truckers.

Situation has improved in the borders between Maharashtra and Karnataka and between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. However, there are still thousands of trucks lined up due to delay at the checkposts, truckers say.

Ashok Goyal, Managing Director, BLR Logistiks, in a video message on Twitter said, despite the Centre issuing notifications to all State governments to allow all types of goods stranded on the highways, it seems the ground reality is quite different. The local police are not allowing the vehicles to move leaving the drivers and cleaners on the highways without food and water.

“Panic situation is getting under Control. We are convincing our drivers to settle where they are and where they are getting food and basic amenities,” said Bal Malkit Singh, a fleet operator in Mumbai. However, things are moving at a very slow pace for supplying essential commodities. No competent officers to identify the goods and distinguish between essential and non-essential commodities, he added.

Agreeing with Singh, Sundarajan Ponnusami, a fleet operator in Bengaluru, said most of the states are now allowing essential goods vehicles. However, there is still lots of delay, he added.

However, B Satyanarayana, Proprietor, New Vijaya Lakshmi Transport, Visakhapatnam, says there is no major improvement in the movement of trucks in the last 24 hours.

According to Rajinder Singh Bhasin, Secretary General of All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners Association, the Centre has issued advisories to all the States to allow all the stranded vehicles to reach their destination.

“We should see improvement in the situation in the borders next week,” he added.

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