Kerala lorry owners to join all India stir

Kozhikode, Jan 20 (UNI) Truck owners in Kerala will join the indefinite transport stir called by All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners' Associations (ACOGOA) from January 24 midnight to protest against the 150 per cent hike in third party motor insurance.

All the commercial vehicles in the state would stop operations indefinitely from January 24 midnight to protest against the ''arbitrary'' move, Kerala State Lorry Owners' Federation President P M Mohammedali told reporters here this evening.

Stating that the proposed hike was unjustifiable and would jeopardise the entire transport industry, he said ''we expect the government to come foward for further negotiations'' and to resolve the crisis before the D-day.

The ACOGOA was in talks with the government for the last one month but no solution was reached because of the adamant stand taken by the authorities concerned, he said.

''We were prepared even for a 50 per cent hike in the third party insurance premium but the proposal was not acceptable to them'', he said.

Owners of private buses, taxis and autorikshaws would also join the stir as the hike was applicable to every vehicle owner in the country, Mr Mohammedali said.

Transport employees in the state, cutting across party affiliations, have also expressed their support to the proposed agitation, he claimed.

UNI