Maharashtra Government recently announced air, rail and road travel restrictions for entry to the State. With the restrictions in place, the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) showed their concern on matters related to convenience for truckers & helpers, as well as disruptions in the supply chain of essentials. The directives issued by the officials included requirement of double vaccination or a negative RTPCR test report prior to taking entry into the State.
However, as a possible sigh of relief, it is being said that the Government is working on a system to give the second dose of vaccination to truckers and ancillary staff at the entry points itself. Currently, the commercial vehicles carrying essential items are, apparently, entering the State without much troubles as the officials have been lenient and there haven’t been incidents of any major hold-ups.
The movement through Maharashtra Borders remain seamless and hassle free even after implementation of new COVID-19 guidelines. The roll out of new COVID-19 guidelines by the Maharashtra Government mandating double dose or negative RTPCR test for entry into Maharashtra through road caused quite a concern among the transport fraternity. We immediately took up the matter with the authorities and requested exemptions for the drivers who are vaccinated with single dose to drive and enter the state.”
Bal Malkit Singh, Chairman – Core Committee, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC)
The AIMTC is worried though, about the lacks of basic amenities and security of cargo being carried by the trucks in case of a delay at the borders. Plus, there has been some apprehensiveness about the negative RTPCR test report required to be presented at the time of entering the state. This is because trucks transporting cargo from Delhi to Mumbai take more than 72 hours to reach the borders, which is more than the validity of the test report. Also, for trucks going to southern states, it is impossible to get RTPCR test done en-route for them to be able to pass through Maharashtra.
What is awaited now is for the State Government and AIMTC to reach a middle ground on either letting go the requirement of a negative test report or setting up facilities on highways for truckers to get themselves tested or vaccinated.
