Thousands of commuters in Delhi were hit hard as large numbers of auto-rickshaws and taxis went off the roads on Tuesday to protest against a law on installing GPS systems in the vehicles.
The auto-rickshaw and taxi operators were on a one-day strike opposing the high installation charges for the proposed Global Positioning System in their vehicles and demanding a fare hike to compensate for this.
Over 10,000 taxis and a large number of auto-rickshaw unions decided to stay off the roads.
“Both autos and taxis will not be available in many parts of the national capital as a mark of protest,” an auto union member said.
Commuters had a harrowing time as several auto-rickshaws kept off the roads and the frequency of DTC buses was low in the morning.
“The buses are already crowded and there is no certainty about their frequency. And the Metro line is far from my house. I am bound to be dependent on autos,” said Shabbir Ansari, a resident of Jamia Nagar.
On Monday, Delhi Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami had said that additional buses would be deployed across the city, including at railway stations, inter-state bus terminals, airport and hospitals.