Hyderabad: Lorry owners in Telangana called off their strike on Thursday following an assurance by the state government to consider their demands on lowering taxes and bringing in a single transport permit system for TS and AP.
The breakthrough came during talks between TS Lorry Owners Association and transport minister P. Mahender Reddy at the Secretariat. The state promised to constitute a panel to look into their demands.
Over 2.5 lakh trucks went off the roads since Wednesday in TS affecting movement of goods. The strike also disrupted supply of essential commodities and vegetables in Hyderabad and other districts resulting in escalation of prices in markets.
The lorry owners demanded that the governments in both states understand the purpose of a single permit system.
The other demands include reducing taxes and not suspending the driving licence of drivers immediately in the event of an accident.
“We have called off the strike after the government promised to resolve all our demands within three weeks. We hope the government will keep its word. If not, we will be forced to go on strike again,” said Bhaskar Reddy, president, TLOA.
Transport Minister P. Mahender Reddy said, “A committee with senior officials will be constituted soon which will go through the demands raised by lorry owners. It will submit a report to the government within three weeks on the issue based on which the government will take a decision.”
