EC's vehicle requisition policy for polls deplored

Drivers of private vehicles as well as government vehicle drivers have once again raised the issue of forcible requisition of vehicles by officials for election duty.

The Election Commission requisitions about 45,000 vehicles for ferrying officials and staffers. However, two associations of drivers said most of their vehicles were stopped in the middle of the road and taken away with the help of the RTO and traffic police.

“We have no choice but to do as they say. While we do not have objections to work for election duty, the delay in making payments is a big issue. Many members in our group have travelled more than four times to get their payments from the commission,” said H E Somashekhar of OTU Chalakara Sene.

M N Venugopal, president of government and concerned drivers federation, said despite a rule stating that drivers of requisitioned government vehicles should be paid Rs 250, the commission doesn’t make any payments.

“During the Assembly elections last year, some improvements were made after we threatened to file a police complaint. However, no improvements have been made in their policy even now,” Venugopal said.

Radhakrishna Holla, president of a city-based tourist vehicles association, said the poll body should call a tender and fix rates for cabs instead of forcibly commandeering the vehicles.

“A tender will naturally lead to a contract, giving drivers legal recourse in case of delays in making payments,” he explained.