New Delhi, Aug 17: The Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh is set to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday, seeking the creation of a dedicated welfare board for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers and the withdrawal of higher vehicle fitness-test fees.The union, affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, has appealed to auto and taxi drivers across the national capital to join the demonstration and raise transport-related concerns with the government.
Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh general secretary Rajendra Soni said the union wants the Delhi government to immediately establish an Auto-Taxi Drivers’ Welfare Board to address issues concerning the community.The union is also demanding the rollback of increased fitness-test charges applicable to older vehicles. The Union Transport Ministry had raised the fitness-test fee for motor vehicles more than 20 years old in November 2025 as part of efforts to discourage the continued use of ageing vehicles.
Soni said the union has several other demands, including fixing limits on drivers’ working hours and ensuring greater accountability among officials of the Delhi Transport Department.The union has also called for an immediate ban on bike taxis operating with private registration plates, arguing that their operations need to be addressed under the existing transport regulatory framework.The protest is expected to bring together auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to press both the central and Delhi governments to consider their demands.
The union said the demonstration is aimed at highlighting issues related to drivers’ welfare, vehicle-related expenses, working conditions and regulation of competing transport services.
