CHENNAI: The smooth road, unfurling in front of their eyes, is in stark contrast to the predicament the truckers are navigating. Blame it on the war somewhere in the Persian Gulf, the drivers have no go but to make do with whatever little resources they have in hand, alone at times.
Far from the scene of action of US President Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury, at the dusty truck terminal in Madhavaram, it’s the distressing tales of the soaring price of diesel, coupled with scarcity of cooking gas and unavailability of helpers, that fill the air.
The gravity of the situation is evident in the eyes of Kailash when he says it’s either the ‘Closed’ or the ‘No Stock’ signboard that welcomed him at most of the fuel stations on his way to Chennai from Jaipur in Rajasthan, carrying a truckload of marbles.
“Wherever diesel is available, the operators are adamant not to give us more than 50 litres, which is nothing for a long-haul truck,” he says, adding at times he has to even pay an extra amount of Rs 300 to Rs 400 for the limited quantity of fuel.
Let alone the fuel, Kailash says even his as well as his cleaner’s food expense at dhabas has tripled to Rs 1,500, leaving him with the only alternative to offer ride to hitchhikers in exchange for money.
Exactly, says Sanjoy Roy, who reached Chennai from Kolkata via Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. To cut down on expenses Roy decided not to take a helper along, and drove the 1,600km-long journey all alone. “If I take a helper, I have to pay him.
With the daily allowance of Rs 400, I can’t even afford my own food expenses,” he rues, adding that now a single meal costs anywhere around Rs 200, and price of a cup of tea has gone up from Rs 10 to Rs 20.
Though Roy tried to save a little bit by making use of a 5kg LPG cylinder, he says it didn’t work out, as he is able to refill only 1 kg at a time, that too after paying Rs 350 in place of earlier Rs 100.
For Om Prakash, who brought railway spare parts from Himachal Pradesh, the spiralling costs have eaten into his income. “Out of the total transportation charge of Rs 1.5 lakh, the owner takes 50%. I have to spend from my share at the toll booths, for diesel, food and the bribe to the RTO and police personnel,” he explains.
Seconding Prakash is Inderjeet Singh, who has been making trips from Bhatinda in Punjab to Chennai since 1993. “It’s not the war and fuel prices, but the torture from the RTO and police officials is something that drains me out,” he says.
As the dust settles at Madhavaram terminal, the highway becomes clearer, but the mind of the truckers, stuck in the facility, is still clouded, as they hope for the war to end so that their rides and lives could become much smoother.