In a bid to end the standoff between the truck owners and mine owners over the freight rate issue, a hike of 50 per cent on Kuddemol to Kapshem route in South Goa has been proposed on an experimental basis and if found viable, it will be extended to other routes, disclosed Transport Director Arun Dessai.
Truck owners will now be paid Rs 11.30 per tone as against the current rate of Rs 6.60 per tone. The truck owners were demanding a 100 per cent increase in the freight rate while the mine owners have agreed to a 50 per cent increase.
The breakthrough in the deadlocked talks was achieved at a meeting attended by the Transport Director and representatives of the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association, All Goa Truck Owners Association and South Goa Truck Owners Association.
Although this compromise was achieved for South Goa areas, the problem is far from resolved in North Goa section.
Truck owners were demanding a hike in the rate claiming that the restrictions imposed by the High Court on their operations had reduced their operation time drastically thereby making it impossible for them to operate the trucks at the old rates.
