Truckers to meet IRDAI in Hyderabad on Monday

Bengaluru, April 1 (IANS) The South Zone Motor Transporters' Welfare Association (SZMTWA) has said that the future course of the truckers' agitation that entered its third day on Saturday, will depend on the outcome of its meeting with the IRDAI on April 3.

Around 22 lakh trucks have stayed off the road in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry since Thursday midnight.

"Our future course of action will depend on the outcome of the meeting with IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India ) on Monday in Hyderabad," said G.R. Shanmugappa, general secretary of the SZMTWA.

"Five states and one Union Territory will incur a loss of Rs 5,500 crore per day due to this agitation," Shanmugappa said.

The fuel tankers, maxi cabs and tourist taxies of the southern states would also join the agitation from April 3.

"Maxi cabs and tourist taxies were off the road for a day in places like Mysuru, Udupi and Mangaluru. Our members will participate in the agitation in Bengaluru from Monday," said Radhakrishna Holla, president, Bengaluru Tourist Taxi Owners' Association.

There will be no new bookings for taxies and maxi cabs from Monday onwards till the agitation was called off.

"We will honour the bookings already made. There will be no obstruction for the maxi cabs and taxies operating under corporate services category," Holla added.

If the owners of fuel tankers, tourist taxies and maxi cabs take part in the agitation from Monday, the supply of essential commodities like food grains, vegetables, LPG, petrol was likely to be affected.

"We have taken measures to ensure stock of fuel for two to three days," Lokesh Reddy, secretary of Bengaluru Petroleum Dealers' Association said.