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Delhiites who use auto-rickshaws and taxis to get to their offices had a harrowing time on Friday as both are off the roads due to the on-going agitation over inadequate supply of Compressed Natural Gas.
Over twenty-five thousand auto-rickshaws and ten thousand taxis went off the roads in the Capital to protest against the government's inability to provide them with adequate supply of CNG to run their vehicles.
"I normally used to take an auto to my office at ITO junction from my residence in trans-Yamuna areas. But today, I have been forced to look for an alternative. I have asked a friend of mine to give me a lift up to my office," Madhulika Singh, who works for a newspaper, said.
She is one of the lucky ones as despite being given advance notice about the strike, most commuters finally ended up at bus stops trying to get into over-crowded buses.
"Today, I will have to travel by cycle-rickshaw to my office," said a lady who works in a government office. "I cannot afford to get into buses as they are crowded. I will be delayed but have little choice in the matter," she added.
"We had warned the government in advance about the strike," said Paramjit Verma, an official of an auto-rickshaw union.
"We have to queue up for hours to get gas. The supply of gas is wholly inadequate and I shudder to think of what would happen when more autos and taxis begin to run on CNG. And this is without taking buses running on CNG into account," he said.
Himmat Singh, general secretary of Private Bus Operators Welfare Association, said that private bus operators had not joined the strike.
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