By IANS,
New Delhi : Over 55,000 auto-rickshaws remained off the roads for the second consecutive day Tuesday causing great hardship to commuters even as the Delhi government decided not to buckle under the “unjust demands” of auto unions.
The auto-rickshaw drivers will be back on the road Wednesday after their two-day strike.
Thousands of Delhiites struggled to get to their workplaces on time with auto rickshaws keeping off the roads to protest the government’s crackdown on drivers operating without permits, licences and pollution control certificates. Commuters were left with no option but to travel in overcrowded buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the private Bluelines.
“It generally takes me half hour to reach my office, but today it took me nearly two hours. I got late as I had to take an overloaded bus that crawled the whole way,” said 26-year-old marketing executive Mudit Mittal.
Sangeeta Singh, an IT professional, had a similar tale of woe. “I left half-an-hour early for my office in Nehru Place as I wanted to take a bus due to the strike. But the buses were all very crowded.”
“I did not get any auto for an hour in the morning, and it was impossible to travel in the overcrowded buses. I finally took a lift from a stranger to reach my office. Many of my friends spent hundreds of rupees on taxies,” said Santosh Kumar.
The strike called under the banner of Bharatiya Tipahiya Chalak Sangh (BTCS) Monday was joined by over 18 auto-rickshaw drivers’ associations. In many parts of the capital, members of the auto drivers association were seen forcing some autos that had decided to go against the strike to join in.
The auto-rickshaw association decided to continue the strike Tuesday after their talks with the Delhi government failed Monday.
“Despite our strike, the government has not listened to our problem and we have called a meeting of auto-rickshaw associations to discuss the issue. Autos will be back on the road Wednesday. We might organise sit-in protests or hunger strike on the issue,” BTCS general secretary Anil Kumar said.
The national capital witnessed stray incidents of violence when striking auto rickshaw drivers attacked those who were plying their vehicles. One incident took place in Mayur Vihar area of east Delhi where a group of drivers on strike attacked a driver who was not part of the strike and even damaged his vehicle.
Fearing such attacks, some drivers kept off the road.
“I am not a member of any association but some auto drivers have threatened to damage my auto if I drive the vehicle. So I decided not to take a chance,” said Salim Abbas, an auto-rickshaw driver in east Delhi.
Reacting to reports of such incidents, Kumar said: “We have appealed to all auto rickshaw drivers not to indulge in violent activities during the strike, but there were some incidents of violence.”
Meanwhile, Delhi government’s Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely warned the auto unions of strict action and said harassment of commuters would not be tolerated.
“Harassment of commuters by auto-rickshaw drivers would not be tolerated at any cost. Strict action would be taken against the three wheeler operators and drivers who violate the permit rules. Keeping in view the auto strike, the government is planning to make alternative arrangements to help commuters,” Lovely said.
“The demands of auto unions are not justified and the government cannot compromise on set norms and the law to give in to them. Autos are here for the convenience of the public and the government has decided not to succumb to the pressure tactics of auto drivers,” he added.