Sugar cane vehicle owners seek higher freight charges

The Sugarcane Vehicle Owners’ Federation in Tamil Nadu has demanded a revision of freight charges and action against overloading of vehicles.

The federation’s coordinators said that nearly 10,000 heavy vehicles and about 6,000 tractors were engaged in transporting sugar cane to various cooperative, public, and private sector sugar mills across the State.

Six-wheeler vehicles were often made to carry loads exceeding the limit of 12 tonnes. Many of them were transporting loads of up to 20 tonnes per trip, leading to frequent accidents, vehicle breakdowns, and snapping of electricity lines, they said.

Illegal fittings

K. Moorthy, one of the coordinators, said tractors meant for agricultural use were being illegally fitted with attachments and used for transporting sugar cane.

Moreover, the vehicles were paid low freight charges of ₹200 per tonne, which was not viable. The freight charges should be increased to a minimum of ₹350 per tonne, the federation said.

In a representation to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the federation urged the State government to intervene to effect a revision of freight charges for sugar cane transportation.

S. Yuvaraj, another coordinator, said the Federation had decided not to accept overloading of vehicles from February 1. “We have submitted petitions to various government departments, including the Directorate of Sugar and the Transport Department, seeking action against the overloading of vehicles and increase in freight charges,” he said.