MUMBAI, January 25: The Maharashtra Tank Lorry Owners' Association has decided to observe an indefinite strike from the midnight of January 27 to protest state government's measures to check overloading of tankers.Said a press release, the tank lorry owners had to resort to this extreme step as their transport business has suffered considerably since the observation of Road Safety Week from January 1 this year. ``We have brought to the Transport Commissioner's notice that tankers are fabricated to contain calibrated quantity of petroleum products of varying densities.
While one product with lesser density is considered as underload, when filled to its full capacity, another is overload even if not filled fully,'' stated general secretary Kailash Khandelwal. He added that by checking the tanker's weight, many tank lorry owners are forced to drive half-filled tankers that can easily overturn due to the movement of liquid inside. The Motor Vehicle Department is reportedly imposing heavy penalties ranging
from Rs 2,000 to 10,000 despite an assurance given by Deputy Minister Gopinath Munde. ``By now almost 80 per cent of the tankers are off the roads, and almost the entire transport industry will come to a halt if this continues,'' stated Khandelwal.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
