Hyderabad: The proposed transport workers strike was called off after the Telangana government gave written assurances on several demands, TPCC spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin said on Monday.
The assurances covered a review of autorickshaw fares and steps to establish a Transport Workers’ Welfare Board. They also included ₹1.50 lakh assistance for eligible auto owners to convert or retrofit vehicles into electric models.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Nizamuddin said Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar held talks with the Joint Action Committee on Sunday. Representatives of auto, cab, lorry and other transport organisations joined the press conference.
Nizamuddin said unions had a democratic right to protest. However, he argued that dialogue should receive priority when the government was willing to address genuine demands.
Transport workers strike withdrawn after talks
INTUC General Secretary R.D. Chandrashekhar Reddy said unions had placed 14 demands before the government. He said the government gave immediate written assurances on about 10 demands through the minutes of the meeting. According to him, the response showed the government’s willingness to resolve workers’ problems through consultation.
Revision of autorickshaw meter fares was among the major demands. Nizamuddin said fares had remained unchanged for years despite increases in operating and household costs. He cited higher petrol, diesel and CNG prices, vehicle costs, maintenance, insurance, spare parts and labour expenses.
He said the previous Congress government had carried out the last major fare revision. However, he alleged that the BRS government had not revised fares during its 10-year tenure.
Ponnam Prabhakar agreed to constitute a committee to examine the issue and recommend revised fares, Nizamuddin said. The government would also study fare structures followed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
Welfare Board process to be expedited
Nizamuddin said transport unions had sought a Transport Workers’ Welfare Board before the 2023 Assembly elections. Congress subsequently included the demand in its election manifesto, he said. The matter had already come up for discussion in the Cabinet.
According to Nizamuddin, the government assured unions that the required administrative process would be completed soon. Chandrashekhar Reddy said the government also proposed consultations involving workers’ unions, app-based transport aggregators and the Labour Department.
The tripartite mechanism would address problems faced by drivers working through app-based platforms. Transport representatives raised several demands concerning aggregators such as Ola, Uber, Rapido and Porter.
They sought implementation of government-notified minimum base fares, per-kilometre charges and per-minute rates. The demands covered cabs, autos and goods vehicles under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025.
The representatives also demanded that only commercially registered vehicles undertake app-based passenger and goods transportation. They said private vehicles should either be barred from commercial operations or obtain commercial registration under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Transport workers strike talks cover goods vehicles
Lorry Association representative Rajendra Reddy asked the government to include goods transport workers in the proposed Welfare Board. He said around 6.5 lakh goods vehicles operated across Telangana. A large number of families depended directly on the sector, he added.
Meanwhile, Nizamuddin said the government proposed ₹1.50 lakh assistance for eligible autorickshaw owners shifting to electric vehicles. The money would support retrofitting or conversion of existing autos into electric models. He said the measure could reduce pollution without imposing the entire conversion cost on drivers.
Nizamuddin also rejected claims that the RTC or State government planned large-scale purchases of electric autos for last-mile connectivity. He said the Transport Minister had clarified that no such proposal existed.
Instead, privately owned vehicles could provide last-mile services, including autos converted to electric mode, he said. Nizamuddin asked unions to verify such reports with the Transport Department or RTC before raising concerns among workers.
₹12,000 annual assistance reiterated
Chandrashekhar Reddy said the government reiterated its commitment to the Congress manifesto promise of ₹12,000 annual assistance for autorickshaw workers. He also said the government responded positively to the demand concerning G.O. No. 263, including its withdrawal.
Nizamuddin said he had been associated with transport-sector issues for nearly three decades. He recalled protests during the previous BRS government after transport organisations claimed their representations had not received responses.
Nizamuddin cited demands over border tax in 2016 and road tax relief during the Covid period. He alleged that representations by lorry, bus and cab associations had initially been ignored. He said he had staged a protest at an RTA office and later approached the High Court.
Subsequently, the previous government announced tax exemptions of around ₹256 crore ahead of the GHMC elections, he said.
Nizamuddin also referred to the RTC strike under the previous government. He contrasted its handling with the current government’s decision to invite workers for negotiations and record assurances in written minutes.
Opposition accused of politicising transport workers strike
Nizamuddin objected to some trade union representatives visiting BRS Bhavan while negotiations with the government were underway. He also criticised their participation in a press conference with Opposition leaders.
Union representatives were free to join political parties if they wished, he said. However, he argued that workers’ organisations should not become vehicles for political confrontation. Workers’ livelihoods should not be politicised when dialogue and dispute-resolution mechanisms were available, Nizamuddin said.
Rajendra Reddy thanked the government for addressing fitness renewal fees for commercial vehicles older than 15 years. He said the Centre had increased the fee from around ₹1,000 to ₹30,000. Following representations, the State Transport Minister intervened and commercial vehicle operators received relief, he said.
All India Professionals Congress representative Syed Rauf also defended workers’ right to pursue their demands. However, he accused the Opposition of trying to give the proposed strike a political colour.
Rauf claimed around 45,000 auto permits had been issued since Congress came to power. According to him, increased permit availability helped reduce the cost of acquiring an auto. He said the cost fell from around ₹5.5 lakh to between ₹2.80 lakh and ₹3 lakh for many drivers.
Nizamuddin appealed to auto, cab, lorry and other transport workers to allow reasonable time for the government to implement its assurances. Several demands required Cabinet decisions and departmental or administrative procedures, he said.
He asked unions to monitor implementation and continue discussions with the government instead of acting on rumours or political claims. R.D. Chandrashekhar Reddy, Mohan Naik, Syed Rauf, Rajendra Reddy, Rudraksha Mallesh, Bhaskar Reddy and Rajasekhar Reddy were among those who attended the press conference.