Taxi union stages protest, demands waiver of taxes, permit fees in Ludhiana
Members of the taxi union staged a protest on the Jagraon Bridge here on Saturday, demanding waiver of taxes and passes for movement of taxis in the city. They raised slogans against the government and threatened to launch an agitation if their demands were not met.
The All Driver Helpline Union rued that rather than providing support to taxi service owners, the state government is levying taxes and imposing penalties on them.
Union president Jaswant Singh Dhillon said, “The taxi business is at an all-time low as the movement of people is restricted and they are also avoiding taxis at this time for fear of catching the virus. Our demands include waiver of taxes for two years, waiver of passing permit fees, six-month moratorium on payment of bank loans and issuance of passes for movement of taxis.”
Jaideep Singh, a leader of the Punjab Taxi Union, said, “The Delhi government is also helping cab drivers at this time, but the Punjab government is not paying heed to their problems. We will launch an agitation in the coming days if the state government fails to provide relief to taxi service providers.”
Extending support to protesters, Youth Akali Dal (YAD) district president Gurdeep Gosha said, “The Uttarakhand government has provided relief to taxi operators, but the Punjab government is levying taxes and imposing penalties to collect money. How will taxi operators pay bank installments if they are not even able to cater to their daily needs?”