Windfall for light vehicles

THANJAVUR: Lorry owners’ loss is light vehicle (LV) owners’ gain. Since the lorry strike began on the midnight of August 18, light vehicles, with a capacity ranging from 1 tonne to 7.5 tonne, are being rented out for a quick buck.And while lorries stay at bay, LVs enjoy their spot in the sun. Their owners are fixing their own rate for transporting goods and are even taking contracts from big companies. If you make an offer that falls below their demand, they have no qualms in walking away.Even as lorry owners decided not to cut off supply of essential goods those who could not afford to pay the heavy transportation charges of lorries in some parts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts went looking for smaller vehicles.  For bigger consignments, they either hired two such vehicles or asked the driver to make two trips, said lorry driver Ramavannan in Thiruvaiyaru.Lorries ferrying essential commodities are still being run as their owners had entered into a contract with the TN Civil Supplies Corporation, which proscribes them from participating in the ongoing strike, revealed a member of the Thanjavur Lorry Owners’ Association.Association’s president, Veeraiyan said that a large number of lorries had been hired to transport sand and other material before the strike came into effect.  From last Wednesday — when the indefinite strike call was given — the owners flatly refused to run their vehicles. That’s when light vehicle owners stepped into the picture.