Gurugram: Auto drivers up in arms against e-auto zoning

Sanjay Yadav

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Gurugram, August 18

A day after the Chief Minister converted the Gurugram MC zone 3 into electric three-wheelers zone only, CNG auto drivers staged a protest here, fearing they will go out of job.

The zone includes high-paying hotspots like the MG road, Galleria etc, which house maximum markets and malls etc. The area is currently the one with highest demand for public transport.

A memorandum was submitted to the DC by the Samast Auto Rickshaw Union, demanding permission to ply their autos in the same zone.

The MC had launched 600 e-rickshaws in the city on Monday and carved the city’s first electric three-wheelers zone.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had launched the initiative and a declaration was made barring the plying of the diesel and CNG auto-rickshaws here. The auto drivers, when not allowed even today, took to roads to stage the protest.

“First, the government asked us to switch to the CNG autos. Most of us changed our autos by taking loans. Now, CNG autos has a validity for 15 years and diesel autos are valid for 10 years. But without thinking about us, they went on barring key earning zone for us. Most of us will be left virtually unemployed. The new orders are not in our favour,” said Tek Chand, vice-president of the union.

“We are worried about our families as they change their stand every six months. We are poor people and jobless for almost a year and a half owing to Covid. Now when things are returning to normal they are reserving zones for new e-autos.” said auto union leader Dharm Singh.

Meanwhile, the auto-drivers threatened a district-wide strike if the ban was not lifted soon.