Auto driver unions JAC stages protest

Musheerabad: Telangana Auto Driver Unions JAC staged protest at Dharna Chowk here on Tuesday, condemning the ‘separate police auto registration’ charges being collected by the city police. The JAC leaders alleged that police have been collecting Rs 200 illegally towards ‘separate police auto registration’ charges from auto drivers on the instructions of city Additional Traffic Police Commissioner Anil Kumar and receipts for the payment were not being given to drivers.

Thousands of auto drivers have been forced to pay the charges so far, they said. The leaders said that traffic police are stopping autos on the pretext of collecting the charges and harassing auto drivers. The union leaders alleged that the TRS government has ignored auto drivers and their issues were not being looked into for the last five years, despite their support to the party in the previous elections.

Stating that the current auto charges do not meet their financial needs, they said that it has become difficult to take passengers on the current auto charges and held government responsible for the current situation. While the permissions were not being given to CNG and LPG gas run autos which were less polluted, the diesel cabs which contribute to city pollution have been allowed to run on city roads, they said.

They demanded the government to put restriction on Ola and Uber cabs. They alleged that transport authorities never cared about fixing meters to private cabs, although the norms suggest that all the cabs should be fitted with meters. Union leaders demanded establishment of a welfare board for auto drivers and include them under ESI scheme. If their demands are not met before February 14, Auto JAC leader Mohammad Amanulla Khan would sit on indefinite fast, the union leaders warned the government. Union leaders Kiran, Mallesh Goud, Maraiah, Narender, Venkatesh, Saleem, Mohammad Rafi and others participated in the protest.