by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor
Container transporters in India have warned that they will take their vehicles off the roads starting Tuesday, 20 August, and start a non-cooperation movement in the State of Maharashtra, home of Nhava Sheva Port.
The transporters intend to protest against the difficult conditions they have been facing.
In a statement, the transporters' association mentioned that its members are burdened by the multiple charges imposed on them, including container loading and offloading damage charges and parking charges.
The operators demand that charges be collected from importers/exporters, highway toll collections be suspended, and tolls refunded to drivers.
The transporters further complain of the "deteriorated" conditions on the Mumbai-Gujarat/Gujarat-Nashik Highway, which are damaging their vehicles.
According to local sources, meetings between the transporters and the authorities are planned for 16 and 17 August to try and avoid a potential strike.
If no agreement is reached during the meetings, the strike is expected to start on 20 August.
Nhava Sheva Port, also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port, is India’s largest container port, handling around 50% of the country’s containerized cargo traffic.
A transporters' strike could severely disrupt cargo movement, leading to delays, increased costs, and congestion at the port.
Kuehne+Nagel will inform customers of any updates as soon as they become available.
