Bengaluru: Truck operators protest against govt plan to collect lifetime taxes from commercial vehicles

The association’s president Shanmugappa led the protest in front of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) at Shantinagar. The deadline for paying lifetime tax ended on August 31.

More than 250 commercial vehicles and trucks were parked along Double Road in Shantinagar demanding withdrawal of the decision.

The truckers pointed out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy had held a meeting last week with representatives of 32 unions of autorickshaw, taxi, and bus operators, but they had not been invited. They had been promised another meeting by August 30, but that has not happened, they said. “We will not pay lifetime tax at any cost, instead we will surrender our vehicles at the RTO.

Later, Transport Commissioner Yogesh A M met the protesting transporters and assured them of taking up the issue with the Transport Minister.