Auto and Taxi Unions in Delhi to Go on Strike Today

With declaration of strike by the transporters in national capital, Delhi the public transport services would be severely affected for a day today. This strike has been called to protest the new bill by the Central government on road safety and transportation issues.

To oppose the Road Transport and Safety Bill-2014 bill the union supervising taxi and auto drivers in the national capital has called for this one-day strike. For a day no auto plus black and yellow taxies would be seen on roads in Delhi.

The representatives of Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh and Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union that works under the umbrella of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh protested and showed their opposition of the proposed bill.

The strikers are receiving support from other unions including from bus and certain section of DTC employees who extended their support for strike in solidarity.

The proposed bill suggests hefty fine even in the minor traffic violation that can affect transporters heavily. The general secretary of both unions Rajender Soni insisted that is it justifiable that even for jumping a red light a motorist is forced to pay hefty fines.

By voicing the association Mr Soni stressed for their demand from the state government for the Rs. 2,700 annual GPS in vehicles charges payment to them.

As airports and railway stations are the places where thousands of passengers commute, protesting transporters won’t operate there to further pressurise their demands.

Delhi Parivahan Mazdoor Sangh representative Rampath Kasana insisted that “the strike is not local and it is of nationwide appeal to voice for the cause of transporters in the country. Proposed bill doesn’t favour the common masses and ironically central government has started to follow policies of other countries that charge hefty fines or seize license in case of 12 violations in a year."

The Delhi government however ascertained that state’s Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses would run on the city’s roads hence this one-day strike will hardly have any effect on commuters in the presence of suitable transportation facility.