Truckers shut down dry port to protest govt action
BIRGUNJ, DEC 25 -
Transport operators angered by government checking of overloaded trucks have intensified their protest by bringing Sirsiya Dry Port to a complete standstill on Monday and Tuesday. They had blocked container trucks coming from third countries on Sunday to vent their rage.
The government initiated action against trucks loaded beyond the capacity of the country’s highways after the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) ordered it to get them off the roads. The Platform Truck Transportation Entrepr-eneurs Struggle Committee said they had prevented loading and unloading of cargo at the dry port as the problem remained unresolved.
“Platform trucks carrying containers have been impounded by the traffic police,” said Kumar Kharel, coordinator of the committee. “They used to charge a fine earlier. Now they are unloading extra weight from our trucks.” The committee will continue its struggle until the vehicles are permitted to move around freely, he added.
According to Bikram Chand, superintendent of the Traffic Police, eight trucks have been impounded for carrying cargo over the specified weight limit. Chand added that the case had been transferred to the Narayani Zonal Transportation Management Office for further action.
The government allows six-wheeler trucks to carry up to 9 tonnes of cargo, 10- wheeler trucks 15 tonnes, 12-wheeler trucks 20 tonnes and 14-wheeler trucks 23 tonnes. There are no trucks at the dry port that can abide by the provision enforced by the government, traders said.
Container trucks of 20-foot and 40-foot sizes arriving at the dry port haul 27 and 29 tonnes of cargo respectively. There are 70 six-wheeler trucks, 40 10-wheeler trucks and 22 14-wheeler trucks at the dry port.
According to Achyut Prasad Shiwakoti, head of the Customs Office at the dry port, around 50 container trucks loaded with cargo leave the dry port daily. The Customs Office collects Rs 30 million in taxes daily. There are around 300 workers at the dry port. Traders said that shipments arriving from third countries cannot be divided into smaller batches. “Furnace oil, mustard and chicken pallets, among other imports, are loaded loose in containers,” said a trucker Ambika Chaudhary. “If the container is opened, they will spill out.” He added that products imported by Unilever and glassware too could not be broken up.
Meanwhile, traders have accused the government of showing favouritism to Indian trucks. According to Chaudhary, six-wheeler Indian trucks were being allowed to carry up to 12 tonnes and 10-wheeler trucks up to 20 tonnes of petroleum products. Birgunj Chamber of Commerce President Ashok Baidhya said that they had written to the ministry to sort out the issue.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
