CNG Price Hike: Commuters Face Hardships As Auto, Taxi Unions Go On Strike In Delhi NCR

Many commuters claimed that owing to surge pricing, they had to wait a long time for Ola and Uber vehicles that were available at "inflated rates."

Representational Image. (Source: Getty Images)

New Delhi: Commuters in Delhi had a difficult time on Monday as a number of autorickshaws and taxi unions went on strike, seeking a rebate on CNG prices as well as a tariff adjustment in the light of increased fuel prices, news agency PTI reported.

Many commuters claimed that owing to surge pricing, they had to wait a long time for Ola and Uber vehicles that were available at "inflated rates."

On Tuesday, people in Delhi are likely to experience similar difficulties.

The Delhi-based Sarvodaya Driver Welfare Association, whose members work for cab aggregators, has announced that their strike will go another day.

The Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh, a union for auto drivers, said it has no plans for a strike on Tuesday and that a decision on a future strike will be made later.

Across the city, there were few automobiles, cabs, and feeder buses available at railway stations, Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBT), and metro stations.

The strike took several people off guard.

"I and my family reached Delhi from Raipur this morning. No cabs and autos were available at the New Delhi Railway Station due to the strike. I waited for an hour to get a cab or an auto but in vain. Finally, I had to call up my friend to go home in Ghaziabad," Vinay Prajapati was quoted by PTI in its report.

Preeti Dahiya, another commuter, had a difficult time hailing an auto.

"I have been standing here for around 15-20 minutes and I had to go to Geeta Colony. I tried booking a cab but the waiting time was more than 25 minutes and there was surge pricing. I spotted a few autos but no one agreed to go due to the strike," said Dahiya.

She said that only short journeys of 2-3 kilometres were acceptable to auto drivers.

Diljeet Singh, another commuter, said, "Every day I take a cab to my office near Central Secretariat and it costs me around Rs 400 for a one-way trip. But today, due to the strike, fewer cabs were available and fares have shot up. I had to pay over Rs 650 to reach my office from Noida."

Delhi's public transportation system is supplemented with over 90,000 vehicles and over 80,000 licenced taxis.

To mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices, auto and taxi drivers' unions have demanded a rate increase and a reduction in CNG pricing.

Despite the Delhi government's statement that a committee will be formed to evaluate fare revisions in a timely manner, they refused to call off their strike.

"Our strike was successful in conveying our message. Seeing the difficulties faced by the public, we have decided to postpone our strike. The future course of action will be decided later," Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh general secretary Rajesh Soni informed PTI.

He suggested that the government either offer a Rs 35 per kilogramme rebate on CNG costs or raise rates.

If its demands are not met, the Delhi-based Sarvodaya Driver Welfare Association has vowed to embark on an indefinite strike.

"Our strike will continue on Tuesday. We have given a two-day ultimatum to the governments (Centre and city) to consider our demands after which we will go on an indefinite strike," Ravi Rathore, president of Sarvodaya Driver Welfare Association of Delhi said.

Later in the day, auto and cab drivers staged a dharna near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's home in Civil Lines to urge their demands.

Small demonstrations were also conducted in a number of other locations, including the ISBT at Kashmere Gate, Rani Bagh, and the auto-stop at the New Delhi Railway Station.

The Delhi Congress backed the walkout and requested a CNG price discount from the Kejriwal administration.

"The strike has caused tremendous inconvenience to commuters as they were stranded at many places. The chief minister was unmoved by the plight of the people as he refused to meet the auto-taxi unions. CM Arvind Kejriwal should concede their demand for subsidy on CNG," Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, there were reports that cabs entering Delhi from the neighbouring cities of Noida and Ghaziabad were being blocked at border posts, adding to commuters' problems.

Cab and auto driver groups, on the other hand, maintained they were only notifying other drivers about the strike and not stopping anybody.

"The strike was planned at a short notice so many of the cab and auto drivers from the NCR were unaware of it. Hence, they were told about the strike at Delhi borders and were requested to participate in it after completing their trips," Rathore said.

(With PTI Inputs)