The All-India Motor Transport Congress has called for a ‘chakka jam’ and a countrywide strike from January 5 to protest the ‘inadequate reduction’ in diesel prices.

Justifying the strike call, Prithvi Raj Sharma, chairperson of the Ludhiana Transport Welfare Association, said, “Despite repeated attempts, the central government has not paid any heed to our demands. They have reduced diesel prices by just Rs 2 per litre when the price can be easily reduced to Rs 10 a litre, keeping in mind the way global crude oil prices have plummeted.”

Manohar Lal Koshal, president of the association, rued, “While the airlines are getting petrol at a subsidised rate of Rs 29 a litre and that too on a credit of 90 days, there is no such benefit for the transporters.”

Overloading charges are also imposed only on trucks and not on the railways, lamented Janakrak Goyal, a member of the association.

“To press for all these demands, transporters will be on strike from Monday, till the time their demands are not met,” Sharma said.