Delhi: Rocketing fuel prices are severely impacting the livelihoods of taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers across the capital. Operating under fare structures that have remained unchanged for years, drivers are facing immense financial strain aggravated by the fluctuations of crude oil prices. Frustrated by the mounting costs, the Delhi Taxi Union has announced a three-day strike from Thursday, May 21st to May 23rd, to protest the price hikes. The unions have also alleged economic exploitation by prominent app-based ride-hailing platforms.
Anuj Kumar Rathore, vice-president of the Chaalak Shakti Union, expressed the drivers’ frustrations: “Due to the continuously increasing prices of CNG, petrol, and diesel, middle-class drivers are struggling to support their families. Therefore, in coordination with other Delhi-based organizations, the ‘Chaalak Shakti Union’ has called for a Chakka Jam (strike) and appealed to drivers to keep their vehicles off the roads on May 21, 22, and 23.”
A primary grief for the unions is that taxi fares in the Delhi-NCR region have remained steady for nearly 15 years despite soaring fuel inflation. In an official letter, the union highlighted their plight, stating: “Taxi fares are still being charged at old rates despite rising inflation, which has severely affected the livelihood of drivers.”
They also cited other escalating expenses such as vehicle maintenance, insurance, fitness certificates, and permit fees as major factors depleting drivers’ take-home income. Furthermore, the union raised objections against app-based aggregators like Ola, Uber, and Rapido, accusing them of arbitrary pricing mechanisms that economically exploit traditional Delhi-NCR taxi operators. The union has called for an urgent meeting with the government to address these grievances.
In a show of solidarity, the All India Motor Transport Congress on Monday wrote to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The letter warned: “If the government does not immediately increase taxi fares and issue a notification within one or two weeks, this movement will be intensified into a large-scale protest, for which the Delhi government solely would be responsible.”
With just two days to go, unions are preparing for the agitation, which includes a planned protest at the Delhi Secretariat on May 23rd. Recently, petrol prices in Delhi rose by 87 paise, increasing from ₹97.77 to ₹98.64 per litre, while diesel rates scaled up by 91 paise, moving from ₹90.67 to ₹91.58 per litre. If the deadlock continues after the three-day strike, commuter disruptions across the capital are expected to intensify.
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