As Karnataka shut down on Tuesday to check the spread of coronavirus, auto and taxi drivers urged the government to issue orders to help them tide over the crisis that has gripped the sector by issuing a moratorium on interests payable on vehicle loans.
"Several states have announced special packages for government workers. The Karnataka government should take the initiative to come up with a scheme to support the families of lakhs of people working in the mobility sector," the Karnatka State Commercial Vehicle Drivers Jont Committee said on Tuesday.
The scheme should include, the committee said, a three-month moratorium on paying EMI and directions to money lenders against pressuring auto/taxi drivers to pay the installments, said the committee comprising five auto rickshaw and taxi drivers unions.
In a release, the committee said that the government should forego the annual road tax for the year considering the hardship of the drivers and the Centre should bring down the vehicle insurance cost by 50%.
"As taxi and auto drivers lose all the revenue, the government should announce a monthly subsistence aid of Rs 15,000 to help their families," it stated.
Additionally, the drivers noted that the government must make arrangements for masks, sanitisers and conduct free health checkups for drivers who render public service by transporting people, including those going to the hospitals.
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