No end in sight to Karnataka lorry strike, essential items may become costlier
Mangalore Today News Network
Bengaluru, April 17, 2025: With no end in sight to the ongoing lorry strike, the prices of certain essential items are expected to increase from Thursday onwards.
Although the indefinite strike has exempted vehicles transporting essential commodities such as vegetables, food items, milk and medicines, the near-complete halt of lorry movement from other states is expected to disrupt supplies and drive up prices.
Rajesh H, Secretary of the Bengaluru Commercial Vehicle Association, stated that only about 10 per cent vehicles from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala entered Karnataka on Wednesday.
"We are hopeful that starting Thursday, no goods vehicles will arrive from neighbouring states. Supplies of some essential food items are already decreasing and provision stores have begun to increase the prices," he said.
According to him, the supply of staples such as potatoes, garlic, rice, wheat and pulses will be affected in the coming days.
Videos and images from toll gates in Bengaluru and elsewhere in Karnataka showed few trucks and lorries plying.
The strike, which began on Monday midnight, has been called by the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners’ and Agents’ Association (FOKSLOAA), the apex body of truckers, transporters, tourist taxis and maxi cab operators in the state.
The federation has raised six demands. Its representatives met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday but the talks failed to break the deadlock.
While the government has responded positively to four of the six demands, two sticking points remain: a rollback of the diesel price hike and the abolition of toll on 18 state highways.
On Wednesday, FOKSLOAA president GR Shanmugappa urged the government to either roll back the diesel price hike or fix rates for goods vehicles along the lines of auto, cab and bus fares, in accordance with a central government directive.
"We appeal to the government with folded hands to not burden us. The increase of Rs 5.5 per litre in diesel prices is no small matter. If the government doesn’t listen to us, we will be forced to intensify our strike and we will not be responsible for the consequences," Shanmugappa stated.
The federation will hold a meeting in Bengaluru on Thursday to decide the next course of action, including intensifying the strike. Office-bearers from district-level transport associations are expected to attend.
Meantime, some internal divisions have begun to surface, with some lorry drivers "secretly" transporting goods from places like Davangere to Bengaluru and Mysuru.
Rajesh said these were "one-off" incidents and insisted that lorry owners were united to fight for "something that concerns us all".