West Bengal truckers to go on three-day strike amid overloading dispute ahead of festive season

KOLKATA : Truckers in West Bengal called for a 72-hour strike from Wednesday over a host of demands that includes a ban on overloading, their association said.

The strike called by the Federation of West Bengal Truck Operators Association (FWBTOA) could disrupt the supply chain of essential commodities ahead of the festive season. “The strike will begin from 6 am on Wednesday,” FWBTOA office-bearer Subhas Chandra Bose said.

Despite repeated pleas to curb the overloading of goods, it continues because of a section of truckers and officials, he said. He emphasized that overloading continues despite repeated pleas to stop the practice. He pointed out that overloading not only deprives truck owners of fair transport fees but also causes damage to roads and vehicles while increasing the risk of accidents.

Truckers have also raised concerns about illegal fees being imposed at weighbridges in districts like Birbhum and Coochbehar, where charges of Rs 236 per truck are levied to allow overloading. The strike is further fueled by complaints of police and land revenue officer harassment, as well as a sharp drop in cargo volume, with nearly 3 lakh trucks out of the state’s estimated 7 lakh currently out of operation.