New Delhi: Private cab drivers ferrying school children in Delhi held a one-day strike on Monday, demanding a commercial vehicle tag for their cabs. Parents of about four lakh students in the national capital had to face problems as cabs did not come to pick their children to school. The protesting drivers alleged that illegitimate challans were issued against them, and demanded that the Delhi government should start the process of converting private cabs into commercial ones.

Later in the day, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot met with representatives of the private school cabs union and assured them that the department would soon take appropriate steps on all their legitimate demands. “Cab drivers are facing a lot of problems due to illegitimate challans being issued by traffic police. Delhi Transport Department and Delhi Traffic Police conducted a campaign over the past 15 days. They issue fines for inappropriate reasons such as not wearing the uniform, and say we have students in the cab beyond the sitting limit,” claimed Amit, a member of the union.

Amit claimed that four lakh children were affected due to the strike. Explaining further, he said that every school has nearly 1,000 children who use a private cab facility. "The transport minister assured us that we can ply our vehicles for other commercial purposes too and take other duties. He also said that we would not be challaned, and would be given a commercial vehicle tag in the next six months," he said.

Gahlot said in a tweet in Hindi, "Met the representative of private school cab union today and heard them. In the meeting, mainly the old valid vehicles were requested to be registered under the ''School Cab Scheme''. Assured them the Transport Department would soon take appropriate steps on all their legitimate demands.”

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