Govt plans online exchange for road freight

NEW DELHI: Transporters may not be required to stand in long queues to obtain road permits or paying various tolls at different entry points. Soon, these transactions could be undertaken online, which will facilitate hassle-free movement of goods across the country. The government is considering to set up a national road freight exchange portal to facilitate cashless transactions in the transport sector.

The portal will provide a common platform to truckers, consignors, consignees, insurance companies and oil companies involved in the transport sector. This will not only save time for transporting goods, but also eliminate the role of middleman, a proposal of working group on logistics said.

The working group was constituted by the Planning Commission.“The Indian transport industry is highly fragmented. The portal would allow for a flow of information and bring together various stakeholders in the industry,” said a member of the Working Group Shoummo Acharya.

Truck owners will have to register their vehicles on the portal, and consignors will be able to request for required transport on the portal. “Information on return-load from any destination for truckers will also be provided,” Mr Acharya said. At present, truckers often end up accepting the rates dictated by brokers to make the return journey. With the information up on the portal, they will now be able to choose what suits them.