Auto rickshaws to go on strike in Delhi from Thursday

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Daljit Singh Bhatia

18 May, 2011

From Thursday onwards, auto rickshaws in Delhi will go on an indefinite strike. The trade unions have voiced their disagreement over the payment of the annual maintenance fee of Rs 15,000 and have asked the government to bear it instead.

BEGINNING FROM Thursday, autorickshaws across New Delhi will go on strike from 11 pm if the government does not pay for the installment of the global positioning system (GPS). The strike, which was initially planned for Wednesday was delayed when only a couple of trade unions agreed for the strike.

President of the Rashtravadi Janta Tipahiya Chalak Mahasangh, Suresh Sharma said that the union has unanimously decided to launch an agitation from Thursday, and not even a single auto rickshaw will ply on the roads during the period. He further added that the strike is being backed by 55,000 odd auto drivers.

When enquired the reason behind the strike, he said that although they do not have any problem with the installation of the GPS, their demand is that they will not be bearing the annual maintenance cost of Rs 15,000. Instead, it should be borne by the government.

It is pertinent to mention here that, although auto rickshaw's form the backbone of New Delhi's transport system, the government is keen in installing the GPS as it will enable the authorities in keeping a check on over speeding, route deviation and ensuring safety of the passengers apart from enabling a two-way communication system.