Drivers want disinfection centres at CNG pumps, frequented locations

baishali.adak@htlive.com

baishali.adak@htlive.com

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Auto and taxi drivers in Delhi said on Friday that the government should have provided disinfectant spraying facilities at more accessible locations, such as CNG fuel stations, railway stations and the IGI Airport, instead of bus depots. Officials of the transport department said they are willing to explore the option of setting up the facility at the requested locations.

Although Delhi transport minister, Kailash Gahlot, said on Tuesday, that the service is “free of cost and not mandatory,” many drivers remain apprehensive and scared of legal action.

“Drivers who are getting their vehicles disinfected at the depots are being issued a slip mentioning the auto/car/bus/RTV registration number, and the date and venue of spraying. I am afraid that if I don’t have it, traffic police could penalise me. I can’t take the risk and am visiting the depots every day,” said Mohammad Rashid, an auto driver, at the Sarojini Nagar depot on Friday.

A senior transport department official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We didn’t provide this (disinfection) facility at CNG stations as we were afraid that the queues here would get longer and motorists wouldn’t be able to refuel their vehicles. However, if auto and cab drivers feel that is a better option, we are willing to explore it.”

At almost all the depots of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), vehicles have been queueing up for two to three kilometres.

Rajpal Kashyap, who got his cab to disinfect at the Rajghat DTC bus depot, said, “We are not against the exercise itself. We know that coronavirus is a deadly disease and it is for the safety of all — the drivers and the commuters — that our vehicles are being disinfected. But this facility should have been provided at CNG fuel stations, railway stations and the IGI Airport, which we frequent,” said

“It takes over five minutes to get refuelling done and just two minutes for the spraying itself. But we are having to go out of our way and wait in queues for hours to get it done. I parked my car in this queue at 10.30 in the morning and still here at 4.30 pm. I haven’t earned a single rupee today,” said Mohammad Nasir, an auto driver at the Hasanpur bus depot.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday that the timings (for disinfection) would be extended to make it easier for drivers. A press release from the government stated that the “disinfection of public service vehicles was being done in two shifts, but after seeing it’s growing demand, it’s been decided to keep the drive open for the entire day.”

The exercise began on March 17 and till 18, a total of 11,081 certificates of disinfection were issued. There are about 95,000 registered autorickshaws and about 1.5 lakh cabs plying on the city roads. Besides, there are about 7,200 small vehicles, in services such as the Gramin Sewa, Phat-Phat Sewa, Eco Friendly Sewas and Maxi Cabs.

Rajendra Soni, general secretary of Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh, said, “The Delhi government didn’t consult any auto union. If they had, we could have given them our suggestions on how best the disinfection exercise can be done.”