Trucks carrying textile goods from Surat to Maharashtra will have armed security guards onboard. The decision was taken transporters after the increase in thefts on stretch between Bardoli and Vyara on the national highway 6. Reportedly, about 200 trucks have been looted with goods valued at over Rs. 80 lakh in the past two months.
Reportedly, every night around 150 trucks loaded with textile fabrics worth over Rs. 25 crore leave for various destinations in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Yuvraj Deshale, President, Surat Textile Goods Transporters’ Association (STGTA), said, “It is better to keep armed guards on the trucks than to see your goods being looted. When our transporters contact the local police station, they just refuse to register complaints blaming the drivers and the cleaners.”
“Most of the goods in transit are not insured and in such cases we have to pay for the looted goods from our own pockets,” he added. The transporters’ association has recently submitted a memorandum to the Tapi District Collector urging him to strengthen night patrolling on the Bardoli-Vyara route.
