Majority of the auto-rickshaws today kept off Delhi roads on the second day of the two-day strike to protest against police crackdown on them for running illegally.
Majority of the auto-rickshaws today kept off Delhi roads on the second day of the two-day strike to protest against police crackdown on them for running illegally even as the city government warned them of taking action like cancellation of permit for violating norms.
Drivers belonging to 17 unions, including Bharatiya Tipahiya Chalak Sangh, Capital Autorickshaw Drivers Union and Rashtravadi Tipahiya Chalak Sangh, participated in the strike which protested against the crackdown on those operating without permits, licenses and pollution control certificates.
Rashtravadi Tipahiya Chalak Sangh president Virender Pal said, "The two-day strike is meant to pressurise the authorities to understand our problems."
However, Delhi transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely today said authorities cannot compromise on norms prescribed by the government.
"Strict action will be taken against three-wheeler operators and drivers who violated permit conditions. Strict action to be taken like cancellation of permit against those violates permit conditions," he said in a statement.
He also said that the demands of the unions were "not justified and the government could not compromise on set norms and the law to give in to them".
Some three-wheelers were seen operating as not all unions were participating in the strike. In Mayur Vihar, a driver who was not participating in the strike was attacked by protestors for plying his auto-rickshaw.
Drivers belonging to unions on strike had obstructed those plying auto-rickshaw in some parts of the city yesterday.
Bharatiya Tipahiya Chalak Sangh president Sobran Singh Rajput said their protest was not meant to harass public but to fight against the government's policies which he claimed were "damaging" their livelihood.
Lovely said harassment of commuters by auto-drivers would not be tolerated at any cost and asked denizens to support the government in its endeavour.
"Autos are here for the convenience of the passengers and government has decided not to succumb to the pressure tactics of auto-drivers," he said adding that he will ensure that no individual driver is harassed if they have valid permits.
He also said a toll-free helpline will be started exclusively for registering complaints against auto-rickshaws and taxi drivers within a week.
"Transport Department will start functioning the helpline within a week to cater the transportation need and problem faced by the commuters in the city," Lovely said adding necessary instructions have been given to the department to activate the toll free helpline number at the earliest.
Twenty-five enforcement teams were deployed to monitor the strike on important locations such as airport, railway stations, ISBTs, hospitals like AIIMS and LNJP, Connaught Place and ITO.
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