Telangana Auto Strike Withdrawn After Minister Ponnam’s Assurance to Drivers
Minister Assures Action On Welfare Board And Auto-Cab Fare Demands
- The Transport JAC in Telangana withdrew its indefinite strike after Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar assured action on key demands, including a welfare board and fair fares.
- The government promised up to Rs 1.50 lakh support for EV retrofitment, per-km and per-minute fares under aggregator guidelines, and regulation of private vehicles used commercially.
- A special committee will examine auto fare revision, as fares have remained unchanged since 2012, and the state will develop a ride-hailing app for auto drivers.
- The JAC had alleged that around 200 auto drivers have died by suicide in Telangana over the past three years due to financial distress.
- The strike call had caused widespread concern among commuters, especially parents, before being called off late on Sunday night. A reprieve for commuters and drivers
Earlier in the day, the minister had urged the JAC to withdraw the strike. However, all of Sunday, the public, especially parents of school-going children, were on tenterhooks. Parents in Hyderabad even requested the government to declare holidays in the wake of the strike call. The union had alleged that the government’s ignorance had pushed several auto drivers to suicide. “The government’s policies have caused us severe financial distress.
What the government promised
In addition to the welfare board and EV retrofit support, the government has agreed to constitute a special committee to examine fare revision for autos, which have not been hiked since 2012. The minister also said the state IT department would develop a ride-hailing app similar to Uber and Ola, exclusively for auto drivers, to help them access rides without depending on private aggregators. On bike taxis, the government said it would soon decide to allow only those with yellow number plates to carry passengers, addressing long-standing concerns about unregulated private vehicles operating as commercial transport. The JAC said these assurances addressed their core demands, and they would now work with the government to ensure timely implementation.
Why the strike was called
The strike call came after weeks of pressure on the Congress government to fulfil its pre-2023 Assembly election promises to auto and app-based transport workers. Drivers had been protesting low fares, lack of social security, and the rise of unregulated private vehicles and bike taxis undercutting their earnings. The JAC had warned that if the government failed to act, they would have no choice but to go on an indefinite strike, which would have severely disrupted daily commutes across Hyderabad and other cities in Telangana. With the strike now called off, both sides have agreed to continue talks to finalise the details of the welfare board, fare structure and EV transition plan.