In the face of the lockdown conditions, truck rentals for essential items like fruits and vegetables have gone by 75-85 per cent across India against the rates prevailing till March 15.
Jammu and Kashmir is one of the worst-hit states, with truck fares having gone up by even 100% on some parts of the states, especially Kashmor valley and parts of Pirpanjal and Chenab valleys.
“Truck fares have become unbearable. We have no option but to raise the prices of the commodities to be able to cover the extra cost”, Farooq Ahmed, a wholesaler of fruits based in Srinagar, told .
With this situation, retail inflation of commodities has gone up significantly in Kashmir.
It is pertinent to mention that the rentals have risen despite waiver of toll fee, motor vehicle taxes, deferment of equal monthly installments on truck loan and third party insurance policy cover on vehicles, said SP Singh, Senior Fellow, Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT).
This is despite fleet owners paying transporters far below mandatory minimum wages as required under the Motor Transport Workers Act.
