Auto, e-rickshaw drivers go on strike in Panipat, oppose odd-even formula

Enraged over the odd-even system, drivers of autos and e-rickshaws gave a call of strike on Monday in Panipat City. Members of the union vacated the autos and e-rickshaws in the morning at all main chowks in the city.

The passengers had to face a lot of problems due to the strike of autos and e-rickshaws.

The auto and e-rickshaw driver union decided to continue their protest on Tuesday and stage a dharna under the elevated highway in front of the Mini Secretariat.

After 21 days of implementation of the odd-even system in the city, the auto and e-rickshaw drivers gathered at Anaj Mandi here and after holding a protest march they reached the Mini Secretariat and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini through the Deputy Commissioner in support of their demands.

Naresh Dahar, district president, Auto-e-rickshaw Drivers’ Union, said their main demands were to get the odd-even system cancelled immediately and sheds and basic amenities should be provided to the auto and e-rickshaw drivers at all stands.

He said the police should be stopped from harassing the auto and e-rickshaw drivers, separate commercial licence window should be set up for the drivers, loan facilities should be given to them from the government banks to purchase autos and e-rickshaws, social security board should be set up, Rs 10 lakh compensation should be given to the family members after driver’s accidental death and Rs 5-lakh compensation for disability. As much as Rs 10,000 monthly pension after 60 years and ESI facility should be implemented for the auto and e-rickshaw drivers.

The city witnessed a huge traffic jam during a five-km long protest march of the auto and e-rickshaw drivers.

Notably, to deal with the problem of traffic jams on the main roads of the city, the district administration had implemented the odd-even formula for one week from September 1. After a successful week-long trial of the odd-even vehicle formula, the district administration has decided to continue the odd-even system in the city.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the District Road Safety and Surakshit School Vahan Policy, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Virender Kumar Dahiya, Superintendent of Police Bhupender Singh and Panipat City MLA Pramod Vij in the last week of August.

According to the traffic police, even as 4,300 e-rickshaws and 3,400 three-wheelers were registered, a higher number of these vehicles were plying on the city roads.

However, the auto and e-rickshaw union has been opposing the decision of the odd-even formula launched by the district administration since it was started. “We are poor people who earn our livelihood by plying our vehicles on a daily basis. Now it has become difficult to fulfil our families’ daily needs as we are allowed to work only for 15 days a month,” said Naresh Dahar.

“Now, the union has decided to continue their protest on Tuesday also as it is a question of livelihood for us and our children. The protest will continue till our demands are met, the president added.