By: Pradeep Ravan
Hyderabad: Several members of the Auto Drivers’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) held a protest at the RTA (Road Transport Authority) office in Khairatabad on Tuesday demanding that RTA officials conduct an enquiry into the tenders issued for scrapping vehicles, alleging for it to be a scam.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union President, Shaik Salahuddin said that auto drivers are demanding that officials of the RTA maintain transparency in giving out tenders for the scrapping of vehicles and make the details accessible in the public domain.
The protest was held alongside the Telangana state Taxi and Drivers’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) which protested against private companies for exploiting cab, taxi and auto drivers amid growing rates of petrol and diesel.
With increasing prices of diesel and petrol, cab drivers are facing financial troubles as 20-30 percent, a major part of their earnings is absorbed by cab aggregators. This is making it difficult for them to pay back their vehicle instalments.
The unions’ members raised slogans against RTA officials and demanded they resolve their issues.
Over 20 members were forcibly removed and detained by the police who escorted them into police vans and shifted them to various police stations in the city.
According to the officials, there are more than 1.25 crore vehicles are due for scrapping since as per the Motor Vehicle Laws a vehicle is considered to be healthy for 15 years only.
Vehicles over 15 years begin polluting the environment when compared to any new vehicle.
Commercial and passenger vehicles older than 15 and 20 years respectively will be scrapped when they fail the fitness test.
The objective behind the scrappage policy is to figure out those unfit vehicles and methodically recycle them. Eventually, the scrapping policy will eliminate pollution in the environment caused by such vehicles.
