CHENNAI: The steady, inexorable spread of the Covid-19 second wave and the inevitable lockdowns that follow have begun to sap the strength of India’s 5.5 million-strong truck fleet. According to industry bodies and research institutes, the road transport sector has taken a substantial hit in terms of both income and infection count this summer.
The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) puts the percentage of trucks currently idle due to lack of demand at around 60 per cent, while the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) claims that a survey among truck drivers and helpers suggests that many reported Covid-19 or flu-like symptoms but have not been able to access PT-PCR tests.
In a letter to the government seeking a blanket loan moratorium for the sector until August 31, 2021, the AIMTC claimed that small operators (with up to five vehicles), who constitute 85 per cent of the segment, were struggling due to demand diving following state-specific lockdowns.
“About 60 per cent of the transport sector is idle and is financially crippled. The current scenario in the country has impaired the livelihood of the small operators (both Cargo segment, the passenger segment) even as they are forced to pay the statutory fees, Establishment Costs, Payment of Salaries, EMIs, Maintenance, Fitness, Permit Fees, Taxes, Insurance, etc, even though the vehicles keep standing,” said Kultaran Sinh Atwal, president, AIMTC.
While the economic impact has been significant, with the AIMTC claiming losses running into hundreds of crores everyday, workers in the sector have also suffered more directly in the hands of the virus. According to S P Singh, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, IFTRT, a survey conducted among 85,000 respondents indicates that around 2-2.5 lakh drivers and helpers may have experienced Covid-like symptoms during the second wave.
“Apart from the above stated conservative estimates of sick drivers and helpers, the total number of truck, bus, and taxi drivers suffering from Covid- 19 and other viral infections couldeasily be 4-4.25 lakh going by present assessment based on over 75 transport centres,” Singh said.