Truckers in Namakkal region, the trucking hub of Tamil Nadu, have migrated to online transactions following demonetisation.

“We have adjusted to the change quickly,” said M Thangavelu, who owns two trucks. He regularly moves goods from VO Chidambaram port in Tuticorin to various parts of the country. Earlier, owners of one or two trucks were primarily dealing in cash.

Thangavelu said customers transfer payments online. “There is no cash dealing with customers nowadays. This is is a major shift for us as we have always been dealing with cash,” he said.

According to SP Mohan, a truck operator in Namakkal, there are nearly 25,000 trucks in the region, of which nearly 40 per cent carry goods from South to the rest of the country. Lack of goods to move, not demonetisation, is affecting the truck industry in the region, he said. At the toll plazas, Mohan said, most of the trucks have fast-track coupons, and zip through without halting to make payment. However, cash needs to be paid at RTOs and for daily ‘batta’ for drivers and cleaners.

Giving a rough calculation, Mohan said the one-way toll charge from Dindigul to Hyderabad is around ₹2,600, which is paid through fast-track coupons, and this payment is done online through various banks. In addition, nearly ₹15,000 in cash is needed for payment at RTOs, loading and unloading, daily batta to drivers and cleaners and for repairs.

Mohan transfers money online to drivers who use debit cards at ATMs. However, where there is shortage of cash at ATMs, drivers prefer cash. For this, Mohan keeps a buffer of around ₹50,000 every week by withdrawing cash from local banks in Namakkal.

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