COIMBATORE: While many have welcomed the drive against overloading of transport vehicles, traders and vehicle owners want it to be reviewed in view of the practical problems it causes. For instance, the drive has led to the rise in prices of a number of goods, especially construction materials.
Curbs on loading affects the transport of most goods, including food products. But it is the construction sector that has seen an immediate impact, they say.
“Sand lorry owners are already operating with minimum margins. The drive against overloading creates major problems for them. Sand price are likely to witness sudden fluctuations and users would have to pay more,” said Coimbatore Lorry Owners Association president K R Arumugham, who does not favour overloading.
“Sand prices almost doubled within a day,” said Kumar, a supplier of construction materials.
“For the past three days, most suppliers have stopped carrying sand from Karur due to the vehicle checks on the border of Tirupur district. Every time there is one such drive, suppliers who had stocked sand use the chance to make a killing. When regular supply resumes, they reduce the price. The lower-level suppliers and consumers are the ones who suffer,” he added.
“We experience scarcity and abnormal price increase for construction materials, whenever officials crack down on overloading of transport vehicles,” said S K Chandrasekaran, chairman, Builders Association of India, Coimbatore Centre.
The crackdown affects the timely supply of food articles, said Vijaykumar, a rice trader. “When vehicles are fined for overloading, the arrival of wheat, rice and vegetables is hit. As agricultural products perish easily, this results in heavy losses to farmers and traders and also leads to increase in prices of several food items,” he pointed out.
Said a sand lorry owner, “PWD officials allow us to load 3.4 units at the sand quarries. However, Transport Department officials allow only two units of sand. Anything more is overload. All authorities, including PWD, Police, Revenue and Transport departments should coordinate and create a proper system to solve the problem.”
Traders and lorry owners say the rules should be implemented without affecting the consumers and the public and keeping in mind practical problems, in order to create a reasonable system.