Rupees 2 per litre price reduction of diesel is a mockery and transporters do not welcome it, said Charan Singh Lohara, chairman of All India Motor Transport Congress while reacting on the government’s decision to slash fuel prices, following steep fall in international crude prices.

Transporters across the country will hold protests on December 10 and “if the government does not fulfil our demands, we will go in for an indefinite strike from December 20, paralysing transport facility all across the country,” Lohara said.

A state-level meeting was also organised at Transport Nagar in this regard.

Lohara said, “We had cut the price of diesel by at least Rs 10 a litre. The decision is a cruel joke. Crude oil prices have fallen to $ 40 per barrel and still the oil companies are not ready to reduce prices.”

Truck and tempo unions have joined hands to protest against the fuel prices. Besides, the transporters have also demanded a bailout package for the industry.

Lohara said all loan installments of transporters should be extended for at least six months without charging extra interest. Moreover, the association has demanded that toll tax be waived off for six months to give some relief to transporters.

The government should fix some minimum rent for trucks as is fixed in case of buses, said Lohara. He said transporters also resented the fact that the tyre companies have failed to reduce prices despite a steep fall in the prices of rubber. More than 300 members attended the meeting on Saturday.