Vizag autorickshaw drivers protest fuel price hike, demand subsidised rates from State government

Members of the Visakha Auto Rickshaw Karmika Sangam (Workers’ Union), affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), staged a protest rally in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday (May 19, 2026), demanding a rollback of the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices and the provision of fuel at subsidised rates for autorickshaw drivers.

The rally began at Jagadamba junction and proceeded to a nearby petrol bunk, where protesters conveyed their demands before returning to the starting point. The protest is part of a wider Statewide agitation being conducted along with the All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF) and CITU.

Speaking to The Hindu, District General Secretary K. Satyanarayana said the fuel price hike had dealt a severe blow to autorickshaw drivers, who, he argued, formed an integral part of the public transport network. “We are the ones who have been involved in public transport on par with RTC. It is a burden for the common man travelling on two-wheelers and cars, but it becomes a bigger burden for auto drivers,” he said.

He alleged that the central government had abdicated its responsibility by leaving pricing decisions to oil companies, without prior discussion or parliamentary debate. “Prices were not increased till the election, and once they were done, the central government increased the prices,” he said, urging the State government to step in and push for a rollback.

Mr. Satyanarayana said autorickshaw drivers were already struggling from the loss of passenger traffic following the State government’s free bus service for women, and that many could not earn even ₹300 a day. He added that RTO officials reviving old pending cases and recovering dues were compounding their distress.

Union President K. Ganesh said the hike had cascading effects on the prices of essential commodities, hurting consumers across the board. The union submitted a formal demand for subsidised fuel rates for autorickshaw drivers. Union leader K.V. Ramana Reddy and others took part in the rally.