Transporters on three-day Delhi-NCR strike from May 21. Will supplies be hit?

Citing these issues, AIMTC said it has decided to suspend transport operations for three days from May 21-23 in Delhi-NCR against the “unjust and unfair policies imposed by the CAQM, courts, and the Delhi government on the Transport sector, which lacks scientific and legal rationale.”, and also written to L-G Taranjit Singh and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta raising their concerns.

Sabharwal added that these measures have serious socio-economic consequences, severely impacting the transport sector and livelihoods of operators.

As per the MCD order, the charges for light motor commercial vehicles (2-axle trucks) increased from Rs 1,400 to 2,000 (excluding MCD tax). For bigger vehicles like trucks, the ECC has gone up from Rs 2,600 to Rs 4,000, plus Rs 1,200 MCD tax, adding up to Rs 5,200 per trip.

It also said that the ECC price will also increase automatically by 5 per cent every year from April 1, rounding off to nearly Rs 10.

Amrik Singh, a member of the Drivers’ Welfare Committee, said, “I am a driver and an operator. I drive a truck from Delhi to Kolkata, and make three trips to Delhi every month. We transport vegetables… Earlier, we paid Rs 2,600; now we have to pay Rs 5,200. Drivers don’t get paid a lot, and this amount is huge…”

“We transporters and truckers supported the government’s decision in curbing pollution when they decided to divert the transit corridor routes to the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways,” he said.

But the ECC is levied even on vehicles carrying essentials into Delhi, Singh said.

“Besides, these charges are also being levied on BS-VI vehicles, which are admittedly cleaner vehicles allowed by the CAQM even during restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan Stage 4 (the highest anti-pollution curbs),” said the AIMTC.

Ban on BS IV commercial vehicles

Further, the Heavy Goods Vehicles Association also said they are protesting against the ban on the entry of BS IV commercial vehicles into Delhi from November 1.

“About 70% of freight is carried by trucks, which are not luxury vehicles; their movement is essential for sustaining the city’s economy, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of goods, and maintaining the smooth functioning of the daily lives of the people,” said Sabharwal.

The AIMTC also claimed that despite crores of rupees collected under ECC since 2015, there has been no significant improvement in air quality.

“Rs 1,753.2 crore of Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) collected till December 4, 2025, but the government has spent only Rs 781.4 crore while the remaining Rs 971.8 crore — 55.4% — is lying unused,” it claimed.

Kultaran Singh Atwal, former president of the AIMTC, said, “A blanket levy of enhanced ECC on all goods vehicles amounts to a clear cheating and betrayal of the transport fraternity. It may be questioned whether collecting ECC has brought down pollution levels in Delhi – the answer is a big ‘no’.”

Sabharwal added that the ECC has effectively become a revenue-generating mechanism. “The government, instead of taking measures to curb pollution, is just collecting money and harassing transporters,” he claimed.

“BS-IV vehicles were approved by the government prior to April 1, 2020, and granted a 15-year validity under the Motor Vehicles Act. This blanket ban will severely impact the livelihood, financial stability, and sustenance of more than 17 lakh truckers and their families in Delhi-NCR,” he said.

The AIMTC has three demands: immediate withdrawal of the ECC hike, roll back ban on entry of BS-IV commercial vehicles, and exemption of BS-VI vehicles from the levy of ECC.

“The AIMTC will be coordinating the protest; the 68 unions associated with it will stop their vehicles wherever they are for three days. Though the protest is currently symbolic in nature, there is also growing concern that, in the absence of a timely resolution, the discontentment and agitation amongst the transport fraternity may escalate into an indefinite suspension of transport vehicles in Delhi-NCR, which may affect supply chains, markets, and daily life in Delhi,” it said.

Transport expert Anil Chikkara said banning commercial BS IV vehicles solely based on the registration category is “not scientifically justified”. He said in urban traffic, BS IV and BS VI diesel vehicles have nearly similar tailpipe emissions, as both are equipped with exhaust after-treatment systems.

Enforcement should be based on actual tailpipe emissions, as provided in the MV Act, he added.