Autos, cabs off the roads today in Telangana

Hyderabad: Thousands of vehicles, including auto-rickshaws, cabs, DCM vans, trolleys, private buses and trucks, will be off the roads on Thursday in response to a daylong bandh call given by the Telangana State Taxi and Drivers JAC.

They are demanding the government to bring diesel, petrol and petroleum gas, under GST. The protest is also against the state government’s decision to increase green, life and road taxes and fitness penalties. They want the government to roll back the prices with immediate effect. On their part, cabbies are demanding the implementation of the motor vehicle aggregator guidelines 2020.

It may be noted that last month, transport authorities had revised the taxes and penalties, as per the Motor Vehicles Act 2019. The union ridiculed the ‘abnormal’ taxes and penalties.

Telangana lorry owner’s association general secretary SK. Chand Pasha said “Lorry owners are contributing Rs 5,000 crore annually by way of taxes to the state government. The increase in green, road and life taxes is atrocious.”

Representatives of Auto Rickshaws JAC demanded “bringing diesel, petrol and LPG under GST.”

Telangana State Taxi and Drivers JAC members said “we strongly demand implementation of the motor vehicle aggregator guidelines 2020.”

The bandh will be participated by CITU, IFT, INTUC, AIUTC and TRSKV. They will stage a massive protest in front of the RTA office in Khairatabad.