[210420.EN.BIZ] India's Coronavirus Lockdown Nearly Freezes Trucking, But Less So Ports

INDIA's coronavirus lockdown has brought freight movement to a near halt, even though the government has exempted the transport sector from restriction, reports Bloomberg.

But the movement of trucks at ports is easing after efforts taken to restore operations and maintain critical cargo shipments. Traffic to and from ports is about 50 per cent of normal levels, he said, though labour constraints could be a future setback.

Yet daily movement of trucks fell 10 per cent, according to All India Motor Transport Congress, an umbrella body representing 10 million truckers.

Road transport accounts for about 60 per cent of freight traffic in India and 87 per cent of its passenger traffic, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Trucking has emerged as a major choke-point in global supply chains for everything from food to medical supplies as governments take stringent steps to contain the pandemic, restricting the movement of vehicles and people who drive them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a three-week lockdown on the nation's 1.3 billion people since March 25, is wreaking havoc on the economy as forecasters predict India's first contraction in 20 years.

"Though the government has allowed movement of both essential and non-essential goods, the situation is very different at the ground level," said Naveen Kumar Gupta, secretary general of AIMTC, the largest truckers group in India.

But the movement of trucks at ports is easing after efforts taken to restore operations and maintain critical cargo shipments. Traffic to and from ports is about 50 per cent of normal levels, he said, though labour constraints could be a future setback.

Source : HKSG.