‘Auto bandh’ called by the unions affiliated to CITU across the district was total on Monday. As all autorickshaws went off the road and there was no other mode of transport, people, particularly train and bus passengers, faced hardship.
The auto workers observed the protest against GO 894 enhancing licence and registration fees and also against the recent amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act and the alleged harassment by the police and RTA personnel.
Hundreds of auto drivers took out a massive rally from the Collector’s Office to the RTA Office at K. L. Puram on the Vizianagaram-Raipur National Highway and staged a protest there.
As there was no response from Deputy Commissioner (RTA) B. Krishnaveni, the protesters squatted on the National Highway for over one hour from 12 noon. As a result, vehicular traffic on the road was crippled. They called off the protest after the Deputy Commissioner assured them that she would put their problems before the government for redressal. The police, who were present in good number, maintained restraint through the protest. They took nearly two hours to clear the traffic jam.
CITU general secretary T.V. Ramana and divisional secretary Reddi Sankar Rao, leaders of All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation P. Appala Raju and B. Sankar Rao and others participated in the protest.
Addressing the protesting auto workers, Mr. Ramana said that auto workers would intensify the stir if the government did not withdraw its GO immediately.
