Trucks off roads tomorrow

New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) The rumble of commercial load carriers will fall silent as millions of trucks go off the roads as part of a token one-day all-India strike by truckers to oppose oil price hike tomorrow.

''All our affiliate members are supporting the strike call.

Twenty-seven lakh heavy commercial vehicles and five lakh light commercial vehicles would be off the road. As many as 1.5 lakh transport companies also would remain closed,'' All India Motor Transport Congress Advisor J M Saxena said here.

The decision on an indefinite agitation would be taken by the AIMTC Managing Committee later this month after considering the Government's response to the token strike, he said.

The AIMTC had written to the government opposing the hike and challenging high tax rates, but received no response, he added.

Adjustment of domestic fuel price with global crude price was understandable, but why was there a concomitant increase in the excise, customs and sales tax rates on fuel every time, he asked.

Citing the case of Maharashtra, he said the price of diesel there fell by 65 paise after the government dropped sales tax on a Rs two increase in fuel price.

''Going by this principle, then considering that the price of diesel in Maharashtra went up by Rs 11.34 between June 6, 2004 and June 6, 2006, a reduction of tax rate for a Rs 3.68 drop in diesel price is called for,'' he said.

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