RISING FUEL PRICES

Rising fuel prices and quiet road freight (transport) fraternity may well indicate a lull before the storm.

- Bhushan Mhapralkar

Rajesh Patil (name changed on request) is a small transporter at Belgaum with eight tankers that carry molasses from sugar factories in the region down south for further processing. Seven out of the eight trucks he owns are in operation currently. While one truck is undergoing repair (an activity hampered by the shortage of skilled workers), he is experiencing little demand for his operational fleet. The lack of demand after two months of compulsory shutdown is adding to his worries. He is also worried about the onset of rainy season and the floods it could bring. Floods last year in the region not only hampered business but also damaged many trucks. Stating that the compulsory shutdown for two months led to drivers, workshop technicians, spotters and many such people with a hand-to-mouth existence to turn to weird jobs like selling fruits, vegetables, and liquor to make a living, Patil informed that the fate of transporters and engineering goods manufacturers is the same. “We have trucks but no drivers to drive them, likewise the engineering goods manufacturers have the machines but no workers to operate them,” he added.