A delegation of auto rickshaw drivers on Wednesday met Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot and sought the government’s support on their concerns, including the rule that they need to know to drive a car as well for getting an auto driving license.

The representatives told Gahlot that earlier they had to take a test by driving an auto for obtaining an auto rickshaw driver’s license, a statement said.

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Transport Minister Gahlot assured the auto drivers’ representatives that he would talk to the officials on this issue and find a way to resolve it.

In the significant meeting, which was held at the Delhi Secretariat, the delegation expressed their appreciation for the Kejriwal government’s long-standing support and voiced hopes for continued assistance.

The transport minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the welfare of auto drivers, highlighting the numerous relief measures implemented over the past nine years.

He assured the union that the government would prioritize their interests and work towards resolving their issues promptly.

The auto rickshaw drivers also mentioned to Gahlot that the Transport Department has shifted its office from Burari to Rajpur Road, and flagged some of the issues regarding drinking water and the new place having no waiting area.

On this, the minister assured them that soon a water cooler will be installed there and a waiting area will be created by installing a shed.

During the meeting, the delegation also expressed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has done a lot of work for them and has given them respect.

They said that during covid times, when the lockdown was imposed, all the auto drivers were unemployed, and during that period Kejriwal understood their problem and provided financial assistance of Rs 5,000 twice.

During Corona, Delhi was the only state where the government provided financial assistance to auto drivers. Apart from this, they had to pay many types of fees including DMTS, SIM, and fitness, which the Delhi government waived, the statement added.

According to the official statement, the reliefs from the Kejriwal government to the auto rickshaw drivers during the past include, reduced DMTS fee from Rs 1,420 per year to zero, reduced SIM fee from Rs 584 per year to nil, reduced fitness fee from Rs 600 per year to zero, reduced permit fee from Rs 1,000 to Rs. 500.