Diesel cab drivers submit affidavit, protest on E-way

The diesel taxi drivers met and submitted their demands to the state minister following which more than 10,000 taxi drivers started their indefinite taxi strike from 9 am on Friday. Around 200 cabbies gathered near Tau Devi Lal stadium on Sohna Road and then marched towards the residence of PWD minister Rao Narbir Singh in Civil Lines which also created a lot of traffic.

The cab drivers had also assured the district police that their protest will be conducted in a peaceful way on the Expressway along the Gurgaon-Delhi border.

 

However, if their demands are not met or they are not satisfied with the assurances given, they hinted at becoming aggressive.

The protestors had already alerted the city police because of which over a hundred cops were deployed on the route. 

The cops even stopped the cabbies near Rajiv Chowk at around 9.30 am stating that they first need to check with the minister if he is home and free to meet the protestors. However, the minister agreed to meet the strikers.

The diesel taxi drivers on protest submitted an affidavit comprising nine demands to the minister, some of which targeted private app-based cab aggregators like OLA and Uber. 

The demands included the permit for diesel cabs should allowed to ply for five years, ie till their permits last, insurance money should be given for the OLA cabs so the cabbies can buy new CNG cars, the cabs with all India permit should not be challaned by cops, the all India permits and fitness certificates are not being renewed in Gurgaon, Rewari and Narnaul and the same should be done.

They also wrote that shuttle buses are plying without RTA’s permit, app-based cabs services should be stopped, CBI inquiry should be made into the investments worth Rs 2,000 crore with the private app-based cab aggregators, the private app-based companies take surge charges from people and government should convert all private vehicles into CNG too and not just diesel if they want to reduce pollution levels.