Inclusion of Karnal in NCR leaves transporters worried

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 1

The inclusion of Karnal in the National Capital Region (NCR) has given a jolt to transporters having 10-year-old diesel vehicles, as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned plying of 10-year-old diesel vehicles in NCR area.

With this, thousands of trucks, tempos, canters, three-wheelers and other vehicles are not being passed by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) and lying idle.

Transporters of the district will meet Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking relaxation in norms. They threatened to protest if their demand was not met.

Guru Nanak Truck Union Transport Nagar vice-president Narinder Singh has painted a slogan on his truck, appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Khattar to relax the norm to 20 years.

PS Bedi, district president of the union, said with the inclusion of Karnal in the NCR, nearly 20,000 10-year-old vehicles would be taken off roads. “It is a setback for transporters who purchased vehicles on loan. It takes around 10 years to recover the amount with interest. Some of the transporters have only one vehicle. If their vehicle is barred from plying, they will face difficulties,” he said.

Another transporter Narinder Singh demanded if vehicles were not allowed to ply, the government should provide loan at zero per cent interest to transporters.

Kashmiri Lal Vohra demanded a status of industry to transporters on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.