Vehicle movement towards earthquake-hit Gujarat has more or less come to a halt with operators waiting to see restoration of normal industrial activity. As every disaster-struck area needs it, there would be a large-scale requirements of road transport once re-building activities start. But for the time being, the long industrial belt in the state has scaled down the activities hence the uncertainty.

Gujarat is the second most industrialised state in India and accounts for a significant percentage of the commodity transportation from Mumbai. Agents say bookings have been temporarily halted as the cargo movement towards major ports in the state and industrial zones have been restricted for many reasons.

Apart from this tragedy, the cargo movement from Mumbai to most parts of the country has been normal. Freight rates for nine-tonne truckload was largely steady but without much margins, say transporters.

Vehicle movement has been normalised and hence low margin, said one Mumbai-Assam transporters. Towards all major zones, the rates continued to be firm and are not expected to fluctuate much in the coming week. There was an earlier expectation that renewed hectic activity on the cargo movement front would lead to a spurt 5 per cent to 10 per cent in the cost but that did not happen.

Across the country truck rates remained buoyant and saw little or no improvement. Rates to other northern states remained range-bound while those to Eastern states were firmer by around Rs 250-400.