Bengaluru: With the price of motor fuel soaring, the transportation industry has back to the wall.
Thousands of taxi owners submit their permission and hundreds of private bus operators have cut almost half because they are no longer economically to run the full fleet.
Gasoline prices have increased by Rs 4 per liter and diesel by RS 3.5 in the last 10 days in the state.
Because crude oil prices in the international market increase, there are no signs of cooling domestic prices in the near future and the transportation industry feels heat.
Benefits and optimism for the past month after the tourist destination is reopened after the locking and limit induced covid is removed, it has been removed.
The Federation of Karnataka from the Lorry owner’s association said more than one lakh truck was outside the road due to the increase in fuel prices.
“The cost of running the truck has touched Rs 28 per KM now from Rs 19-20 per km last year.
If this continues, another Lakh truck will go from the road in the next few months,” said GR.
Shanmukappa, president of the federation.
Owners of more than 15,000 taxis and private buses have given up permissions over the past year.
The passenger bus must pay the road tax every quarter, which flows to several thousand rupees.
The source said the main players such as SRS and VRL trips have taken 20-25% of their fleet from the road.
More than two Lakh taxis and other passenger vehicles also disappeared from the road.
There is also a big decline in registration of new commercial vehicles.
“Before the pandemic, we used to register around 10,000 commercial vehicles including taxis, taxis, buses and trucks every month.
Now the number is only 200-300 vehicles,” said L Hemanth Kumar, an additional transportation commissioner (administration).
Those who buy vehicles have been hit by a double whammy – business becomes dull and rising fuel prices.
“I took a loan and bought a new car six months before the pandemic struck,” Madhusudhan said, the taxi driver from Hubballi.
“I paid EMIS for a year hoping the situation would improve.
But the increase in diesel prices has hurt it.
I sell vehicles and now I am unemployed.” Criticing the state and central government to not help, Shanmukappa said they were planning a strike of national truck drivers.
“What is the need for a state to impose a decent tax on fuel when people suffer financially because Covid-19? We plan to issue a 21-day notification to the government.
We will attack if the government does not act,” he said.
K’Taka: Increase in the price of the bent transportation sector
