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NEW DELHI: Amid claims of transporters that about 80% trucks have gone off the roads, government said there is nearly one-fourth reduction in the flow of commercial traffic at toll plazas on national highways.

Officials admitted that the traffic flow had reduced recording a fall of 8% on Friday night (first day of the truckers’strike ) but seeing a decline of up to 25-26% on Sunday night.

“There is no estimate of how much is the loss due to the truckers strike. The government is keen that the truckers end their strike. Two senior Cabinet ministers — Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal — had held meetings with the representatives of truckers’ association only with the intent to address their concerns. But they decided to go ahead with the strike,” said a central government official.

A senior executive at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust told TOI that the flow of vehicles at the largest cargo port has not been impacted so far. The official data on daily prices of essential consumer items like rice, wheat, sugar, milk, edible oil and vegetables maintained by the consumer affairs ministry show there is hardly any increase in prices between Thursday and Monday across cities.

Transporters have said so far vehicles carrying vegetables and other essential commodities have not joined the strike. Once they stop plying, the impact will be more.

Office bearers of All-India Motor Transport Congress’, which is spearheading the strike, said government was downplaying the impact.

Its core committee chairman Bal Malkit Singh had said the impact would be serious from Monday onwards. Sources said there have been attempts from transporters to resume dialogue with transport ministry. The truckers have demanded removals of toll barriers across highways, which has been rejected by government.

