11 transport unions to boycott MCD election

The MCDs levy toll tax on each entry of our vehicles in the city. They also charge parking fee from us, but does not provide parking space.

A joint action committee of 11 transport unions on Monday announced to boycott the April 23 municipal polls in protest against toll tax, high parking, illegal plying of Ola and Uber cabs and registration fees.

The committee has also planned to go on hunger strike for four days in these issues starting from April 20 at Jantar Mantar. “The municipal corporations levy toll tax on each entry of our vehicles in the city. It also charges parking fee from us, but it does not provide parking space. Also, there is no health policy for us. We raised all these demands in our protest last year. But despite the assurance of senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, not even a single demand has been implemented by the government,” said Wahid Khan, vice president of All Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union.

According to him, unions participating in the protest, mainly Delhi NCR Transport Ekta Manch, All Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union, Rajdhani Tourist Driver Union, and Delhi Transport Association, along with seven other transport associations, will boycott the civic bodies elections.

However, according to Sanjay Samrat, member of Delhi Taxi Tourist Transport Union, the protest has been called to drag attention from the taxi operators protest march on April 18 against Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. “Most taxi and autorickshaw drivers have decided not to take out their vehicles on April 18 and march to Kejriwal’s residence in Civil Lines from the Majnu Ka Tila Gurudwara,” said Samrat.

“It is a matter of investigation who were driving the trucks and we won’t be able to speak about it to the media,” he added.

The police in BJP-ruled Rajasthan are already under fire for not acting with alacrity in bringing the culprits to book. They have not arrested any of the six people named by Khan before his death. Khan had also told the police that the attackers were from the VHP and Bajrang Dal, two RSS-linked outfits.

Rajasthan home minister Gulab Singh Kataria also caused outrage when he appeared to shift the blame for the assault, saying those transporting the cattle were beaten up for not carrying valid permits.

Alwar superintendent of