Industry bodies estimate only about 20% of India's roughly 9.8 million trucks are currently operating - either due to a lack of drivers or because demand from manufacturing and other industries has come to a halt NEW DELHI/MUMBAI : Indian truck driver Arju Yadav says he was on a 30-40 km (20-25 mile) journey earlier this month to deliver a consignment of biscuits when he was stopped by police for defying a coronavirus lockdown, beaten and made to do sit-ups.
India had exempted truckers carrying food, medicine and other essential items from the nationwide lockdown that started on March 25, but in many cases, the message had not gone through to police on the highways and officials at state border checkpoints.