Truckers demand withdrawal of hike in fitness, licence fees

​Warangal: The drivers and owners of auto trolleys here have demanded withdrawal of a gazette notification issued by the Central government revising the fitness and licence fees.

The members of Kakatiya Goods Auto Owners Association, Auto Union Beat Bazar and Telangana Auto Mitra Mandali have taken out of protest rally with nearly 200 vehicles in Warangal on Wednesday in support of their demand.

Leading the agitation, city Congress working president Rajanala Srihari flagged off the rally at Warangal chowrastha.

The rally was taken to Regional Transport Office in Hanamkonda. The protestors have submitted a memorandum to Motor Vehicle Inspector and in-charge Deputy Transport Commissioner Kanchi Venu.
Speaking to press persons on the occasion, Congress leader Srihari complained that immense financial burden would be imposed on auto drivers and owners with the gazette notification No 1183 issued by the Centre enhancing of licence and fitness certificate charges.

Driving autos and trolleys has been the main livelihood activity for majority of illiterate and unemployed youth in Telangana. They earn meagre amounts through their day’s hard work and increase in fees could make their lives more troubled, he lamented.

On the other hand, the gazette notification would have negative influence on small traders as well. Hence the government should immediately withdraw the notification, otherwise serious agitations would be staged until the notification was withdrawn, he warned.

Kakatiya Goods Auto Owners Association president M Mallikarjun complained that hefty fees were being collected for conducting vehicle test for grant or renewal of certificate of fitness.

An additional fee of Rs 50 in the form of penalty for each day of delay after expiry of fitness certificate was being collected.

In view of such penalty collection the drivers and owners were forced to pay huge amounts from their earnings. ‘If there is a delay of one month, one has to pay Rs 1,550 and it is nothing but looting us given the fact that a driver earns Rs 400 to 500 per day,’ he added.

The association secretary J Rajeshwar Rao, leaders G Janardhan, A Mallaiah, M Mohan, Ch Ashok, P Kumaraswamy, Congress leader Manda Vinod Kumar, Bochu Ravi and others were present.