Three-day transport strike begins in Delhi; commuters face difficulties in certain areas

Commuters faced hardships while travelling in certain areas as several transport and taxi unions began a three-day strike in the Delhi-NCR on Thursday to protest against a city government cess and rising CNG prices.

The three-day strike till May 23 is primarily against the Delhi government's decision to hike the environment compensation cess on commercial vehicles.

Commuters faced difficulties at some of the busiest places in the national capital, including New Delhi Railway Station, Anand Vihar, Mandi House metro and other locations.

Trucks remained parked in industrial areas like Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar as part of the protest.

''We tried booking a taxi for our home, but the wait time was taking longer than usual, and there were very few auto-rickshaws also available at the station. The cost of cab booking was also high,'' a commuter said.

The strike call was given by the AIMTC, the apex body of truckers, private buses, taxi and maxi cab operators, on Tuesday.

''We support efforts to reduce pollution, but despite collecting nearly Rs 1,500 crore through the Environmental Compensation Cess over the last 10-12 years, the government has not properly used the funds for transport welfare, parking, roads, or pollution-control measures,'' Harish Sabharwal, National President, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), told PTI video.

Euro-VI vehicles were sold to us as pollution-free variants, yet pollution taxes are still being imposed on them, which is contradictory. The government should not place the entire burden on transporters and must also come forward with practical solutions, Sabharwal added.

Commercial vehicle drivers' unions in Delhi have also extended support to the strike, demanding a hike in taxi and auto fares in view of the increasing fuel prices.

According to a transporters' union statement, the strike opposes the ''unjust and unfair policies imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), courts and the Delhi government on the transport sector''.

Anuj Kumar Rathore, vice-president of the 'Chaalak Shakti Union', said that due to the continuously increasing prices of CNG, petrol and diesel, middle-class drivers are struggling to support their families.

''Therefore, in coordination with other organisations of Delhi, the 'Chaalak Shakti Union' has called for a 'chakka jam' and appealed not to operate vehicles on May 21, 22 and 23,'' he said.

An auto-rickshaw driver said, ''The prices of petrol and diesel have increased, but the minimum charge in our autos remains the same; customers do not pay extra, the government has not changed the rules. It is becoming difficult to afford food amid inflation''.

The 'Chaalak Shakti Union' on Monday wrote to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on their demands.

''Petrol and CNG prices have increased, but our income is not increasing. I have been seeing for the last two days that CNG vehicle drivers are facing a lot of problems. Some pumps are shut. In Ghazipur, out of 4-5 pumps, 2 were closed yesterday, because of which there was a long queue stretching up to one kilometre,'' Kuldeep Singh, a taxi driver, said.

However, six auto rickshaw unions have distanced themselves from the strike.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)