The Auto Drivers in twin cities including outskirts would observe a day’s token auto strike on April 11 in protest against the government’s inordinate delay in fixing the existing auto fares and demanding a total ban on the overloaded sharing auto-rickshaws carrying passengers illegally in the city without operating the fare meter.
The other demands include exemption from police e-challan system as it was done in Vijayawada, exemption from 8th class pass condition to obtain driving license and badge to drive auto-rickshaw, stoppage of private auto financiers harassment, exemption of a five years motor vehicle tax to the CNG-driven auto-rickshaws, stoppage of rampant corruption in the RTA, Police and Weights and Measures Departments
In a press release, Telangana Auto Drivers JAC stated that since the state government had fixed the fares on December 14, 2010 last time, there has been an increase of Rs 19 in LPG and about Rs 14 in petrol rates per liter. The government should accordingly hike fares to Rs 22 as a minimum and set Rs 11 per Km. These are needed to meet the high cost of living in addition to the high cost of vehicle operation. He said that majority of autos are run on LPG in twin cities and LPG rates for auto-rickshaws have been hiked from Rs 48.60 to Rs 55.38, i.e Rs 6.81 increase per liter from April 1, 2012.
He said that they are restricting the auto strike to one day only keeping in view of the students on going exams. An indefinite auto strike would be launched during last week of April, in case the government failed to accept the reasonable demands of the Auto drivers forthwith. He appealed to the auto drivers in twin cities to participate in the one day auto token strike and make it a success. (NSS)