Date:13/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/13/stories/2009011359080300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Truckers too bear the brunt of strike

Meeting maintenance and overhead costs a challenge to many; desperate bid to sell buffer stock

They have to earn daily to avoid private lenders
Strike has increased their debt to moneylenders

HYDERABAD: The eight-day truckers’ strike finally came to an end on Monday.

The impact of the strike, however, was not only visible among the general public, but even the transporters themselves came under severe financial strain.

The strike only managed to increase their debt to private lenders, from whom they took money to stay afloat.

Clearly, truckers are desperate to sell whatever little buffer stock is left with them. A visit to local sand lorry ‘addas’ is all it takes to realise their anxiousness. Truckers pester and even bodily pull visitors towards their truck parked nearby, just to sell the truck full of sand and tide over the strike.

While a majority of the truckers participated in the strike, fact remains that meeting expenses to maintain the vehicle, driver, helper and other overhead costs was a challenge.

“Yesterday my truck was attacked by striking truckers at Bhongir. They punctured the tyres and broke glass and I had to spend Rs. 25,000 for repair. I also have to pay loan to the bank. The strike troubled me,” laments T. Sanjay, a truck owner at L.B. Nagar crossroads.

Dependent hamalis

“We have to earn daily to avoid approaching private lenders for loans. Five persons including hamalis, to unload and load material, depend on me to survive. That’s why we are desperate to sell buffer stock. The strike complicated the situation,” says Hanumantha Rao, another trucker at Uppal.

Hanumantha Rao runs after a prospective customer and offers his truck full of sand for Rs. 480 per tonne. “Usually, in good times I charge Rs. 550 per tonne. However, today I need money,” he explains. Most of the sand transporters on a daily basis end up spending Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 for vehicle maintenance, payment to workers and storage of sand.

“Till recently, there was no demand for sand due to slowdown in construction activity. After reduction of steel and cement prices, things started to look up. The week-long strike has once again put a lot of financial pressure on us,” rues Majid Shaikh, another trucker at Lalapet.