Due to an increase in vehicle spare parts and the recent fuel price hike, the All Island United Container Transport Owners' Association (AIUCTOA) today decided to increase its transportation fee by 15% from July 1.

AIUCTOA Chairman Sahan Manjula told the Daily Mirror that they are unanle to bear the current cost of vehicle spare parts that went up by 50%.

"Prices of spare parts, such as tyres, tubes, batteries and lubricants, have shot up by 50%. Every spare part vendor sells at a different price range, and there is no fixed price for to them," he explained.

We continued our service with great zeal. Following the recent fuel price hike, price of a litre of diesel has gone up by Rs. 7. We ran into more problems after that, Manjula lamented.

As a result, our association has decided to raise the container transport costs by 15% beginning July 1 in addition to the current rate, he said.

"If transportation costs rise, it will automatically affect all imported items, including food," Manjula explained.

As a result, the AIUCTOA requested that the government take immediate action to stabilize a controlled price for spare parts in order to minimize the transportation costs, he added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)