Ola, Uber, taxi unions join hands, issue strike threat
HARYANA ROADBLOCK Drivers, union leaders complain they have to wait for long hours at the toll booths at the New DelhiGurgaon border, enter into arguments with passengers over the hiked tax, which is hitting their daily earning
Unions of commercial vehicles protested against increased road tax by Haryana government on Monday and also disrupted the plying of their vehicles towards Gurgaon.
Union members of Delhi taxi tourists’ transport association and Sarvodaya driver’s association held a protest march from Mata Sundari College to Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi against Haryana government’s new road tax policy where they have increased road tax to ₹100 for four seater cars and ₹500 for seven seater cars per day effective from April 1.
Earlier, the drivers had to pay a one-time entry tax of ₹950 for three months to the regional transport authority.
Taxi unions have warned they may go on an indefinite strike unless the hike is reversed as passengers are refusing to pay the increased tax.
If the unions decide to strike, those travelling between Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad by cabs and taxis will be affected.
More than 80,000 cabs are likely to go on strike against the Haryana government for increasing the tax, which union members claim is 100% effective from April 1.
The union members shouted slogans against the Haryana government and also burnt the effigy of Manohar Lal Khattar, chief minister of Haryana.
Delhi taxi tourists’ transport association president Sanjay Samrat said that the Haryana government must roll back the increased tax as it is tough for cab drivers to collect the increased amount from passengers.
“Passengers enter into arguments when we demand ₹100 or ₹500 as hiked amount,” said Gopal, a taxi owner.
Roughly 20,000 cabs ply between Delhi and Gurgaon and most of them are the permanent mode of transportation for executives of companies in Gurgaon.
Meanwhile, the protesters said the indefinite strike would depend on the government’s response to their memorandum.
The cab drivers also held up black banners as a mark of their resentment against the government of Haryana.
Kamaljeet Singh, a leader of the Sarvodaya driver’s association, said that cab drivers are agitated by the fee hike and the time consumed in paying the tax at the collection booth.
“Drivers have to wait in queues for hours daily at the toll collection booth at New DelhiGurgaon border. This takes away significant time that they could have used to increase their daily earnings as they are stuck in paying taxes instead of driving commuters,” Kamaljeet said.
Drivers have to wait in queues at the toll collection booth... This takes away significant time that they could have used to increase their daily earnings. Passengers enter into arguments when we demand ₹100 or ₹500 as hiked amount... We want the problem to be addressed at the earliest.