Protesting against the price rise in CNG, the Ahmedabad-based Auto Rickshaw Drivers’ unions will observe a two-day strike starting from today. But all is not well within different unions of Auto Rickshaw drivers as per a few reports.
Ahmedabad, North Gujarat
The continuous price rise in CNG has led price rise in auto fares in various cities of India. But in Ahmedabad, there seems to be confusion between various auto-rickshaw drivers’ unions and this confusion has led to a two-day auto rickshaw strike in the city.
As per an estimate, there are more than 15 lakh auto-rickshaw drivers earning their livelihood in Ahmedabad and most of them are demanding to withdraw or to reduce the price rise of CNG. Along with that, they are demanding that alleged police atrocities on them must be stopped, and a few other things.
The auto-rickshaw strike in Ahmedabad started from midnight and will continue till 12 pm tomorrow that is the 16th of November. The representatives of auto-rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers held a meeting at the Old Circuit House in the Shahibaugh area of Ahmedabad.
On the 12th of this month, they even gave a memorandum of their demands to the governor of Gujarat Acharya Devvrat. These representatives have claimed that more than 15 lakh auto-rickshaw drivers and more than 50 thousand taxi drivers will join their two days strike.
Just a few days back the central government had reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel and later the state government also reduced Rs 7 and Rs 12 VAT respectively on both. These auto-rickshaw drivers are demanding the same relief on CNG prices as well so that they can get a price reduction of at least Rs.9 per kg on CNG.
One of the unions has rejected the price increase in auto-rickshaw fares suggested by the government of Gujarat and they have alleged that they have not been taken into confidence before making the decision.
But all seems to be not well within the 7 or 8 unions of auto-rickshaw drivers of Ahmedabad. As per local media reports, auto-rickshaw drivers from the Khokhra area were not part of the discussions held between unions and the government. The Auto Rickshaw Driver Union of the Ahmedabad Railway Station has also decided not to participate in the strike and not only that they have criticized the two days strike called by the various auto-rickshaw drivers’ unions of the city.
What is your experience regarding today’s auto-rickshaw strike? Did you suffer or find any difficulty while trying to hire an auto-rickshaw in Ahmedabad today due to this strike? Share your views in the comments section given below.
eChhapu
