The New Indo-Nepal Truck and Trailer Owners’ Welfare Association, a transport syndicate, had suspended the supply of vehicles to deliver Nepali cargo demanding a hike in freight charges. As a result, around 250 trucks were stranded in Kolkata.

Nepal’s Deputy Consular General in Kolkata Surendra Thapa said they intervened in the matter by communicating with different Indian authorities to get the trucks moving again. He added that the issue was between two transport groups, and that they were expected resolve it at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.  

The association said in a notice sent to the deputy commissioner of Kolkata port that it was suspending the supply of its vehicles to the Nepal Goods Transport Welfare Association demanding a hike in charges. “Fuel prices have soared three-fold over the years, and other expenses like maintenance, insurance and road taxes have skyrocketed, yet freight charges have remained the same,” the letter said.

According to Thapa, a number of trucks and tankers were carrying cargo despite the strike called by this group of the transport syndicate. Shipments of cargo by rail also continued during the strike.

President of the Freight Forwarder Association Rajan Sharma said that Nepal’s exports and imports continue to be affected by transport syndicates and the attitude of the Indian authorities. “The Nepal government’s policy requiring importers to state in advance the mode of transport they would be using has prevented them from exercising their options in case of strikes and other disruptions,” he added.Nepal’s exports by rail

were recently obstructed due to a decision of Container Corporation India not to carry less than five containers per trip.

The decision was taken in response to a complaint by the Raxaul Customs Office that they had to process Nepali shipments whenever they arrived irrespective of the quantity of cargo, according Himalayan Terminal Nepal that manages the dry port in Birgunj.