The indefinite strike by the truck operators resulted in a fall in services by almost 70 per cent on Sunday through the Walayar checkpost. The All India Motor Transport Congress was protesting against the delay experienced in clearing the goods vehicles coming into the state through Walayar checkpost. The counters wore a deserted look. Some of the trucks were seen parked in the bay of the commercial tax checkpost without attempting to proceed. District Collector Ali Asghar Pasha claimed that till 11 am from last midnight, 180 trucks loaded with goods passed the checkpost at Walayar. Usually around 500 trucks pass through the checkpost by that time. However, on an average 2,500 goods vehicles come into the state through the Walayar checkpost on a daily basis. Checkpost sources said that since shops and commercial establishments are closed on Sundays, the arrival of vehicles was low in comparison to other days.
The Collector said that a meeting of all lorry transporters from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the national level has been called on Monday at the collectorate conference hall to sort out the issue. K R Armughan, president of the Coimbatore Lorry Owners Association, said that they will continue with their agitation.
Meanwhile, as the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP has called for a hartal on Monday, the movement of vehicles through the checkpost is likely to be paralysed on Monday also.
State secretary of the Kerala State Lorry Owners Federation M Nandakumar said that they have decided not to send the Kerala lorries to the neighbouring states from Monday in view of the likelihood of tensions which would follow.
He said that the lorries in Kerala would also stop the services from Wednesday if a solution is not found at the ministerial level by that day.