Chandigarh: Bike taxi operators protest, demand yellow number plates
Bike taxis that collaborate with apps like Ola, Rapido and Uber claimed that as they did not have yellow number plates, that distinguish commercial vehicles, they are made to pay a heavy penalty of Rs 10,000, since the last three months. The most prominent areas where challans are issued are ISBT 43, ISBT 17, and Elante Mall.
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TRWS president Sahil Kumar claimed that the matter has affected the work of four thousand riders as they are scared to pick up any customer from main Chandigarh. Bike taxi rider partners of the Tricity Riders Welfare Society (TRWS), staged a protest against the State Transport Authority (STA) for not issuing commercial number plates here on Friday, at Sukhna Lake, Sector 42, Chandigarh.
Bike taxis that collaborate with apps like Ola, Rapido and Uber claimed that as they did not have yellow number plates, that distinguish commercial vehicles, they are made to pay a heavy penalty of Rs 10,000, since the last three months. The most prominent areas where challans are issued are ISBT 43, ISBT 17, and Elante Mall.
In a memorandum submitted to the STA, members of the association claimed that at the time of registration on the cab-taxi applications, no such law or condition shows up. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) allying with cab operators from the city are manhandling bike riders due to which they are suffering a lot, it was stated.
They also stated that their companies have not issued any notification about this matter. “Once we asked about the process of installation of yellow number plates at the local RTO office, they put us off by saying there is no process of getting commercial number plates for bikes in the UT. However, the company still hires cabs with white number plates,” said a spokesperson.
When contacted, Ravinder Singh, Motor Vehicle Inspector Chandigarh, said, “Bike taxis are picking and dropping customers at their convenience due to which fines are imposed. Until they get yellow number plates this will continue. The STA has the authority to issue the yellow number plates to riders”.
For the last three to four months challans are actively being issues to bike riders, including food delivery partners. Recently, a Swiggy delivery partner, Manoj Kumar, was imposed a fine of 10,000 for not having a commercial number plate, at Sector 43.
TRWS president Sahil Kumar claimed that the matter has affected the work of four thousand riders as they are scared to pick up any customer from main Chandigarh. “We are ready to pay GST, and get yellow number plates but the authority is neglecting the matter. We urge the RTO and STA to resolve the issue as soon as we have been rendered unemployed in a jiffy, and are being harassed by cab operators,” he said.
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