By Tehelka Bureau
Delhi-NCR is facing severe transportation disruption this evening as over 4 lakh taxi owners and thousands of auto-rickshaw drivers have begun a three-day strike from May 21 to May 23.
More than 68 transport associations and unions, under the banner of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) and United Front of All Transport Associations (UFTA), have joined the protest. The strike is against the Delhi government’s decision to increase the environment compensation cess on commercial vehicles and the delay in fare revision.
The unions are demanding an immediate hike in taxi and auto fares. They have warned that if the government fails to issue a notification for fare revision within the next one or two weeks, this protest will escalate into a much bigger agitation.
Their main demands include rollback of the increased environment compensation cess; withdrawal of the proposed ban on non-Delhi registered BS-IV commercial vehicles from November 1, 2026; and restriction of cess only on vehicles passing through Delhi
The strike has badly hit app-based cab services like Uber and Ola, as well as regular taxis and autos. Commuters are facing major difficulties, especially during evening peak hours.
Taxi drivers expressed strong anger over falling earnings. One driver said, “Rapido has reduced payment from Rs 30 per km to Rs 15-16. We have no option but to protest.”
This united strike by transport operators has brought normal movement across Delhi-NCR almost to a standstill. Authorities have appealed to people to plan their travel and use public transport like metro wherever possible.
