Strike By Petrol Pumps, Taxi Unions Add To Commuters' Troubles In Delhi

Protests by various taxi unions, contractual transport employees and the closing of petrol pumps, all against the Delhi government's refusal to cut tax on fuel added to the troubles of commuters on Monday.

An organisation of contractual employees of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) held a protest at the headquarters, demanding withdrawing of an order to reduce their salaries. There were also reports of some employees trying to disrupt bus services.

A DTC official said several employees tried to obstruct plying of buses and the concerned regional and depot managers have been directed to identify and take appropriate action against them.

"The strike will continue indefinitely with more employees joining it. Today, nearly 50 per cent buses were not on roads," Manoj Sharma, president of DTC Contractual Employees Union said.

Taxi and auto unions affiliated to Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti were also on strike Monday against the Delhi government's "anti-transport policies" and impact on their employment due to cab aggregators.

"The strike was to express our resentment over failure of the government to redress our grievances," said Inderjeet Singh, chairman of All India Tour and Transport Association and convener of the joint forum.

"Auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers are losing their employment due to wrong transport polices of the government and also due to low fares offered to commuters by cab aggregators," he said.

The situation was made worse by the closure of petrol pumps and CNG filling stations in the city with the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association's call for strike. 

"We regret the disruption caused to our rider and driver-partner community, due to a small group of individuals. We remain committed to serving the city and ensuring that our driver partners continue to access a stable income, while giving riders a convenient, reliable option to get around Delhi," an Uber spokesperson said.