Road tax exemption for freight transport vehicles sought

PNS|Vijayawada

The Andhra Pradesh Lorry Owners’ Association wrote a letter to CM Jagan Mohan Reddy requesting to exempt road tax on freight transport vehicles in the recently issued GO on January 11 increasing the road tax.

Speaking on the occasion, president of the association P Gopal Naidu said that the owners of transport lorries were in debts due to the impact of the Covid pandemic.

Meanwhile, the diesel rate is also Rs 12 higher than in Karnataka state and Rs 5 more than in Tamil Nadu state adding to this a huge road cess is being collected by the state government. Hence, he urged the Chief Minister to make amendments to GO Number 21 which stated an increase of fines from Rs 1000 to Rs 20000 as well as the GO Number 67 which stated the increase of Green tax from Rs 200 to Rs 20000 as well as the state collecting fines up to Rs 20,000.

General secretary of the association YV Eswara Rao said that the green tax of Rs 300 to 500 is being collected in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States only. It seems that the state lorry owners of 13 districts have to pay the tax which was collected before bifurcation which 26 district lorry owners paid.

He said that they have given several representations to the concerned officials but in vain. He appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene in the issue and save the transportation field in the state by reducing taxes similar to the neighbouring states.