Taxi drivers protest outside Kejriwal's residence

Scores of diesel taxi drivers, affected by the recent ban imposed by the Supreme Court, today staged a protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here.
The protesters, under the banner of Delhi Taxi Transport Association, later held a rally at Jantar Mantar, which was addressed by Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta.
Gupta said he will lead a delegation of drivers holding All India Tourist Permits (AITP) to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari tomorrow and apprise him of the issues arising out of the ban.
"We will urge him to protect the livelihoods of thousands of drivers by enforcing the ban in phases while putting an end to new registrations. Delhi government has failed to effectively apprise the SC of the matter," Gupta said.

Sanjay Samrat of Delhi Taxi Transport Association said their demands include the permission to existing AITP holders to ply their vehicles as long as the validity of the permits last.
"We also want the government to keep us in the loop before formulating any new policy that affects our lives. It seems only diesel taxis pollute and not lakhs of private cars running on the same diesel," Samrat said.
On April 30, the Supreme Court had refused to give more time to cab operators to convert their vehicles to CNG and put a ban on diesel cabs in the city from May 1, a decision that affected over 27,000 taxis.