CNG Price Hike: Auto, Taxi And Cab Drivers To Go On Strike On April 18 In Delhi

CNG Price Hike: The drivers' association will demand subsidies on gas prices. Earlier, the drivers conducted a protest in front of the Delhi Secretariat on April 11.

CNG Price Hike | New Delhi: Due to a hike of Rs 2.5 in CNG prices, auto, cab and taxi drivers in Delhi have warned that they will go on a strike in New Delhi on April 18. The drivers’ association will demand subsidies on gas prices. Earlier, the drivers conducted a protest in front of the Delhi Secretariat on April 11. According to media reports, the protest was held under the aegis of the Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh. General Secretary of Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh, Rajendra Soni, said that their protests against the policies of the Centre and Delhi government will continue and they will go on strike from April 18.

Speaking about how their business got impacted due to the sudden price rise in fuel, Soni said, “price of CNG is soaring every single day and we are demanding the government to provide us a subsidy of Rs 35 per kg.” The price of CNG is currently Rs 71.61 per kg in Delhi.

Soni alleged that in the last seven years, the Delhi government never called a meeting of Auto-Rickshaw association members. “We’ve written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal but received no response from his office. Who else are we supposed to reach out to with these problems? Neither the chief minister, nor any other leader from the government is ready to speak to us,” he said.

He further said that if their protests escalate, “the governments will start playing blame game amongst each other.” President of the Sarvodaya Drivers’ welfare association, Ravi Rathore said, “Constant price rise in CNG is burning holes in our pockets. We staged protests on April 8 and April 11, yet the government is mum and hasn’t called us for talks yet. We will definitely do ‘Chakka Jam’ on April 18.”

Rathore said that “even the common man will hit the streets if the government’s approach towards this issue remains the same.” The Auto and Taxi Association of Delhi had written a letter to Chief Minister Kejriwal on April 6 demanding that they be provided with a subsidy of Rs 35 per kg on CNG. CNG price was hiked once again by Rs 2.5 per kg in the national capital on Thursday.
(With agency inputs)