Tanker owners protest reduction in BPCL freight charges

Bhilai, Sep 19: The tanker owners involved in transportation of petrol / diesel are highly aggrieved with the reduction in the freight charges by BPCL. Chhattisgarh Petroleum Tanker Owner Association office bearers Vinod Upadhyay and Hemant Soni informed that the tender issued for the next five years has reduced the freight charges by about 30 percent. At present, the charges of 12 KL tankers is Rs 3.55 Return Trip Kilometer (RTKM) and of 20 KL tankers is Rs 3.24 RTKM. The charges have been reduced to Rs 2.72 for 12 KL tankers and Rs 2.55 for 20 KL tankers.

The tanker owners stated that as the cost of maintenance, spare parts and other expenses have increased considerably. The sharp reduction in the freight charges would create a huge problem for them. They asserted that the tanker owners will not be able to provide services as they would be at loss. They demanded that the old existing rates should be continued in the present situation till appropriate revision of rates.