NEW DELHI: Transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday said the department would write to Municipal Corporation of Delhi to not charge border tolls from the capital’s kali-peeli taxis.
Addressing the kali-peeli taxi union of Delhi, Gahlot said, “Kaali-peeli taxis are Delhi’s pride. They have existed since decades and are still plying on the capital’s roads. With time, there have been more options for the users to travel, but Delhi government is standing by our taxi drivers.” The union has been demanding that they should not be charged the tolls.
“Taxi fares were last increased in 2013 and we consider it as our duty to revise the same due to constant CNG price hikes last year. It is my promise to the taxi drivers to meet them to understand their issues on a regular basis and I ensure them that Delhi government will keep on providing all necessary support to them,” Gahlot said.
Delhi auto-taxi union general secretary Rajendra Soni said the profit margin for taxi drivers had been decreasing due to the increasing prices of fuel and stiff competition from the application-based cab aggregators. Delhi has around 12,000 yellow-black taxis, but their number has been dwindling fast due to several drivers switching to application-based platforms.
Gahlot said that during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Delhi government ensured monetary help to auto permit holders and paratransit drivers by disbursing nearly Rs 170 crore among them.
In August 2022, Delhi government also launched a scheme to financially support to women willing to take driving training to become professional taxi drivers, he added. The government bears 50% of the cost for each woman undertaking driving training at the Loni and Sarai Kale Khan centres.
