The Makkal Needhi Maiam Trade Union president, S.A. Ponnusamy, urged the State government to form an advisory council consisting of officials and autorickshaw drivers to address the livelihood issues the drivers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, he said the State government’s notable scheme to provide free travel for women in government buses had hit autorickshaw drivers. “Loss of income, rise in petrol prices in the last 18 months has severely affected the livelihood of the autorickshaw drivers. The State government must take immediate steps to address the issues faced by them,” he said.
He said it was a matter of concern that the Union and State governments did not suspend road tax or insurance premium collection or loan instalments even during the ockdowns when the income of autorickshaw drivers had been affected.
