State lorry operators threaten indefinite strike from July 1

Kolhapur: Lorry operators across Maharashtra are preparing for an indefinite strike beginning July 1. This drastic measure stems from a new mandate requiring them to replace their existing speed limit devices (SLDs), or speed governors, with upgraded versions. Although the Supreme Court in 2018 called for these enhanced devices in commercial vehicles — including trucks, tempos, and buses — the real issue started when the Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials began denying annual fitness clearance to vehicles that didn’t have the new, standardized 16-digit alphanumeric code.Truckers said while SLDs have been mandatory since 2015 and vehicle owners initially installed devices with 5-digit codes, the current fitness certificate application now demands new 16-digit codes. Most vehicles simply don’t have these, leaving many operators unable to obtain the necessary clearance to continue their operations.

On June 21, the state association for lorry, bus, and other heavy goods transport owners collectively decided to initiate the strike. Subhash Jadhav, president of the Kolhapur District Lorry Association, said, “We have demanded that the old devices that are operational be allowed to continue. The RTOs can check whether the old devices are properly functioning or not.”