scorecardresearch
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
Advertisement

Chaotic Monday as taxis, autos and buses stay off the roads

A DTC official said that several employees tried to obstruct plying of buses and the regional and depot managers concerned have been directed to take appropriate action against them. The workers have threatened a 'chakka jam' on October 28.

Commuters stranded at the New Delhi Railway Station as cabs, autos, buses and petrol pumps observed a day-long strike in the capital, Monday. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

With thousands of taxis, autos and buses off the roads and fuel pumps shut, chaos reigned on the streets of the national capital on Monday, as people struggled to get to work after a long weekend. The situation was particularly bad during the morning hours as autos refused to ply and surge pricing on app-based cab aggregators such as Ola and Uber went through the roof as demand far surpassed supply. As the day progressed, a few autos and cabs were seen hitting the roads.

Two separate unions led the protests by taxi and auto drivers — ‘Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti’ and the Delhi Taxi Tourist Transport Association (DTTTA). The former targeted the policies of the Delhi government and the Centre, while the latter held the Union government responsible for the woes of the drivers.

sf (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Sanjay Samrat, President of the DTTTA, demanded that the necessity of installing speed governors, which limits the maximum speed of a vehicle, be removed and the new annual free structure for All India Tourist Permits, of up to Rs 25,000 for cabs and Rs 75,000 for tempo travellers, be rolled back.

Advertisement

In case of the cab-aggregators, the DTTTA alleged that the companies are “exploiting” drivers who have taken vehicles on lease by penalising those who drive more than 200 km per day. “The commission that these companies deduct from each ride should be brought down,” Samrat said, adding that they did not call for any strike, while putting the onus of resolving the issue entirely on Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The association led a demonstration in central Delhi. The Samiti, on the other hand, called the strike over similar demands. “We regret the disruption caused to our rider and driver-partner community, due to a small group of individuals. We remain committed to serving the city and ensuring that our driver partners continue to access a stable income, while giving riders a convenient, reliable option to get around Delhi,” an Uber spokesperson said.

Festive offer

Meanwhile, nearly all the 400 fuel stations, including those having CNG-dispensing units were shut. Those under IGL remained open but witnessed long queues. Rajeev Chaddha, owner of the HP Petrol Pump located in central Delhi, claimed that although it was a day-long protest, it resulted in losses in running into crores for the Centre and the state. “But it was required because if the VAT is brought down by the Delhi government, it will directly benefit the common people,” said Chaddha.

Another protest, demanding equal work and equal pay, was held outside the DTC headquarters by a forum of contractual employees. Some buses remained off roads as their tyres were punctured. A DTC official said that several employees tried to obstruct plying of buses and the regional and depot managers concerned have been directed to take appropriate action against them. The workers have threatened a ‘chakka jam’ on October 28.

First uploaded on: 23-10-2018 at 02:18 IST
Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
close