Hyderabad Auto Unions Call Off Strike After Telangana Govt Agrees to Fare Hike

Autorickshaw unions in Hyderabad have called off their strike following assurances from the Telangana government to revise passenger fares, which have remained unchanged since 2012.

The decision to withdraw the strike was reached after Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and senior officials held discussions with autorickshaw union leaders on Sunday night. The Minister stated that a final decision on the revised fare structure would be taken after obtaining a report from relevant stakeholders.

During the meeting, Prabhakar announced several measures to support autorickshaw drivers. He said the state government plans to introduce its own aggregator application along the lines of Ola and Uber, and will coordinate with the Information Technology department to roll out the service.

To address competition from two-wheeler transport services, the government will mandate yellow registration plates for commercial bikes operating under platforms such as Rapido, Ola, and Uber.

Prabhakar also dismissed rumors regarding electric vehicle procurement, clarifying that there are no plans to purchase electric autorickshaws through TGSRTC. In addition, the government agreed to set up a TGSRTC workers' welfare board, with a joint meeting involving the Labour department, Transport department, and autorickshaw unions scheduled for September 1 to finalize details.

Regarding the election promise of Rs 12,000 financial assistance for auto drivers, the Minister said the matter would be discussed in the Cabinet to reach a positive decision while taking into account the state's financial condition.

To promote cleaner transit, the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh for converting old diesel and petrol autorickshaws into electric vehicles through retrofitting within the Hyderabad CURE Area. Prabhakar added that a decision has already been taken to provide subsidies for the purchase of new electric autorickshaws.