BANGALORE, July 25: Lorry owners all over the country will go on an indefinite strike from the mid-night of August 22 in protest against the 600 per cent hike of third party premium notified by the Tariff Advisory Committee (TAC) of the General Insurance Corporation.President of Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners Association B Channa Reddy told mediapersons here on Saturday that the TAC had gone back on its written agreement that the third party premium hike notified from April 1 would be kept in abeyance.Stating that all efforts made by the All India Motor Transport Congress to pursue the TAC to honour its agreement had failed, he said that the TAC should ask the Insurance Regulatory Authority to fix a reasonable third party premium rate.The present notified increase of the third party premium effective from February 15 should be kept in abeyance, he said.Listing other demands of the Association, he said that road transport should be declared as an industry and toll levied on existing roadsmust be stopped.The revival of original scheme of toll on bridges should be kept in revolving fund and collection must end as soon as cost of construction of the bridge is recovered.Octroi check-posts should be removed, permit system for goods and passenger vehicles should be rationalised, a National Tariff Commission should be set up for fixing fare rates for stage carriage vehicles and amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 and CMVR 1989 should be enacted at the earliest, he added.
