The recurring incidents of fuel, battery, and wheel thefts in private buses and trucks reportedly due to weak night patrolling have doubled the turmoil of many daily wage drivers in north Kerala. Wary of the menace of robbers, and the subsequent financial burden, many are now in a situation to stay back in their vehicles amidst the limited facilities available.
Though parking slots near petrol bunks and other commercial facilities are comfortable for a small section of drivers, the majority have to adjust with the limited space in unsafe areas. Wayside parking slots are seemingly the last resorts for such hapless drivers.
“There are many incidents in which the robbers took away many valuables from the vehicles,” said Jobish Joseph, an inter-State lorry driver. He added that there are no safe parking spots along the National and State Highways in Kozhikode.
Bus and lorry operators in the city say only very few cleaners are willing to stay back in the vehicles as a result of the falling revenue from the sector. Though there were days when the bus crew took turns to guard the vehicles at night, it was not taken forward with the increasing cost of labour and the declining revenue, they pointed out.
“For the robbers, the stolen fuel, batteries or tyres are priced goods. A night’s theft will be enough to pocket a good sum. As police treat such incidents very lightly, chances of tracking such cases are very less,” said Chandradas Purakkal, another inter-State truck operator.
“Apart from fuel and battery, my mobile phones were taken away multiple times. Such incidents have even prompted us to fix strong grills on either side of the driver’s cabin,” said another young inter-State truck driver from the city.
According to heavy vehicle drivers, at least ₹12,000 to ₹14,000 will have to be spent for replacing a heavy duty battery. In the case of fuel robbers, they often make holes on the fuel tank, making repair a tough job. Apart from the damage, the refilling of an emptied tank creates a huge financial burden, they added.
