App-based cabs off road in Chandigarh tricity, commuters bear the brunt

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Chandigarh, April 12

Commuters faced hardships as app-based cabs and auto-rickshaws remained off the road in the tricity today in protest against the rising fuel prices and their other pending issues.

Astha Mongia, a resident of the city, said she had to cancel all her meetings scheduled for the day as no cab was available since morning.

Expressing similar views, Dr Raj Sharma said he had to take out time from his busy schedule to drop his wife to work in the absence of a taxi service.

Nikita Kashyap, a resident of Zirakpur, said in the absence of a taxi service, normal auto-rickshaw drivers overcharged passengers and she had to pay Rs200 for a distance she would have otherwise paid nearly Rs80.

Members of the Cab-Auto Sanyukt Morcha claimed that there were about 40,000 drivers in the tricity and their livelihood was at stake due to the rising prices of petrol, diesel and CNG. Neither their aggregator companies nor the Administration took care of them. It is worth noting that the Administration only releases the notification regarding increasing the rate, but does not make any effort to implement it. On the other side, cab aggregators are also hesitant to increase the rate. In such a situation, where should auto cab drivers go, they said, adding that they were forced to go for a 24-hour “chakka jam” in the tricity. They said it was a peaceful demonstration, but if the demands were not accepted, they could go for an indefinite strike.

In a memorandum of demands submitted to the State Transport Authority, they demanded that over the continuous rise in the prices of fuel, the UT Administration should ensure that the notification issued on the revision of fares should be implemented by the aggregator companies. They also said that aggregator companies should pay taxes, if any, and the drivers should not be involved in it. They also demanded pick-up and drop points like CTU bus stops in the city.

‘Had to cancel meetings’

I had to cancel all my meetings scheduled for the day as no cab was available since morning. — Astha Mongia, city resident