THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The goods transport operators complained that they are fed up with the ‘daily collection’ of police in the form of fines. According to them, it has become routine for police to issue fines without assigning a specific reason for a rule violation. The Lorry Owners Welfare Federation alleged that the total fines for a quarter are double the vehicle tax they pay.
“The police do not even check the documents. They simply assign a token fine of Rs 250 or Rs 500. If a vehicle is caught 30 times in three months the fine is double the quarterly tax,” said Lorry Owners Welfare Federation general secretary K Balachandran.
The goods carriers pay a quarterly tax of Rs 3,600. The association alleged that the fine has become a method for the government to increase revenue. But it has affected the goods transport business badly. “Already the goods transport sector has been affected by rising expenses and low hiring charges. The demand has also come down. Not many operators will be able to survive the situation,” said Balachandran. The association has approached Transport Minister Antony Raju to intervene in the situation.