Talking to the media on Tuesday, association's city committee president Vadde Latha and secretary D. Srinivasa Rao vowed to create awareness on wearing a helmet. They demanded that the State government do away with VAT on petrol. They reasoned that people were using two-wheelers as there was no alternative. So, the tax should be brought down to the lowest possible level.
Later, Ms. Latha sped away in a four-wheeler and Mr. Srinivasa Rao went by a motorcycle without wearing a helmet, leaving the mediapersons perplexed.
Earlier, they said the association would take out rallies, conduct awareness programmes for youth, especially in engineering colleges, to educate them on the advantages of wearing a helmet. The youth would also be asked to obtain a driving licence before they venture out on their vehicles. “We understand our duties and responsibilities before making demands,” they said.
The association leaders demanded that parking lots be earmarked on the arterial Bandar and Eluru roads. They said that e-challans should be done away with until the parking spaces were provided. They also wanted the government to withdraw the increase in the price of petrol.
Crude oil prices had come down to $106 from $111 in the international market in first week of May. The government, however, did not bring down the price of petrol commensurately.
It was pertinent to mention that the government sold petrol at Rs. 50 per litre when the crude oil price was $140. The government slashed the petrol price only by Rs. 2 though the price came down in the international market.
The oil companies were making a killing if the quarterly reports of IOC and BPCL were any indication, they said.
