In Pursuit Of Business

Lack of business has the transport industry worried.

- Anirudh Raheja

Satwinder Singh Sukhala, a small time business man who repairs truck radiator is worried. He is in search of work, and there isn’t much coming his way. Until last month, that is before the GST rolled out, Sukhala did not get time to look up. There were times when he spent 12 to 14 hours working on radiator jobs at his small shop in Delhi’s biggest trucking hub Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, without taking a break. There’s been a turnaround. Rather than carrying out repairs, Satwinder has come to spend time in worrying about meeting his expenses. Other than assure the people he deals with of a timely payment, Sukhala has little else to do. Time he knows is running out. But having spent so many years of his life repairing radiators, Sukhala is suddenly feeling like a fish out of water. The trade has taken a deep dive. Almost 90 per cent of it is lost. Pointing out to a line of trucks parked, he states that this is not a natural occurrence. Never did he see trucks standing for more than eight hours at a stretch he mentions. They can be seen parked at the same place for days together.