Strikes hit transport services in capital

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 22

Commuters and office goers in the national capital were a harried lot on Monday due to the strikes by fuel stations and protest by taxi and auto unions against the Delhi government's refusal to cut VAT on petrol and diesel.

Hitting the public transport further and adding to the trouble of the AAP government a group of contractual transport employees also staged a demonstration at the headquarters of the DTC demanding parity in wages and taking back order for reducing wages.

Much to the inconvenience of people here while petrol pumps and CNG filling stations in the city were closed on a call of strike by the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) there were reports of disruption of bus services by the protesting staff at some DTC depots.

The DTC is learnt to have been directed to take appropriate action against the erring employees who disrupted bus operations even as president of the DTC Contractual Employees Union Manoj Sharma warned that the strike will continue indefinitely with more employees joining it. He claimed today, at least, 50 per cent buses were off the roads on a day when auto-rickshaws too plied in few numbers.

Under the Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, taxi and auto unions also remained on strike today to lodge their protest against the city government’s approach to their concerns and dipping employment due to low fares by cab aggregators.

The opposition parties slammed the AAP blaming it for the losses due to the DPDA strike. Union minister Vijay Goel lashed out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his party’s donation campaign for the Lok Sabha polls claiming he is only bothered about donation, not Delhi.