Delhi govt says panel to consider revision of auto & taxi fares soon
The Delhi government's assurance comes day after the members of auto, taxi and cab drivers' associations warned the authorities to go on strike from Monday if their demand for subsidy on gas prices was not met. The bus operators have also announced to join the strike.
The Delhi government on Friday announced the formation of a committee to consider autorickshaw and taxi fares revision, this ahead of a strike called by the unions seeking subsidy on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot tweeted, "Due to the rising fuel prices, auto/taxi unions have been demanding revision of fares. @ArvindKejriwal govt. understands their concerns. A committee shall soon be constituted by transport Dept for this purpose, which shall furnish its recommendations in a time-bound manner."
The Delhi government's assurance comes day after the members of auto, taxi and cab drivers' associations warned the authorities to go on strike from Monday if their demand for subsidy on gas prices was not met. The bus operators have also announced to join the strike.
On April 11, hundreds of autorickshaw, taxi and cab drivers under the aegis of the Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh had staged a protest at the Delhi secretariat demanding gas subsidy.
"We are also hit by the impact of Covid in the past two years and now the shooting CNG prices. Our members will also join the strike on April 18 and the private buses will not ply on that day," Shyamlal Gola, general secretary of STA Operators Ekta Manch, told news agency PTI.
General Secretary of Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh, Rajendra Soni said, “Price of CNG is soaring every single day and we are demanding the government to provide us a subsidy of ₹35 per kg.”
The auto and taxi association of Delhi had written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on April 6 demanding that they be provided with a subsidy of ₹35 per kg on CNG.
The Congress had also joined the protest, urging the chief minister to rise above party lines and help the drivers.
“You (Kejriwal) are the chief minister and you have the authority to provided subsidy (on CNG). You have earned ₹20,000 crore through VAT and now earning big profit through excise duty. Please save the city from an impending indefinite strike of auto and taxi driver,” Delhi Congress chief Chaudhary Anil Kumar, who had joined the protest, was quoted by PTI as saying.
CNG price was hiked once again by ₹2.5 per kg in the national capital on Thursday. The price of CNG is currently ₹71.61 per kg in Delhi.
