Hyderabad: Auto, cab drivers in election race

Hyderabad: Autorickshaw union leaders A. Sathi Reddy and cabbies leader Mukkawar Sunil intend to contest the Assembly elections from Secunderabad and Qutubullapur as independents. 

They want to enter the fray as they feel cheated by the government which has done nothing for drivers’ welfare. 

Mr Reddy and Mr Sunil expect to file their nomination papers on Monday. As head of their drivers unions, they say they have proven their calibre.

Mr Reddy is president of the Telangana Auto Drivers Union and is contesting for the fifth time from Secunderabad. 

His agenda is the uplift of the autorickshaw drivers community. He reach out to as many drivers as possible, he said.

He stressed that apart from introducing welfare measures for drivers, he would focus on improving facilities in Secunderabad constituency. Mr Sunil, 26, is state president of the Telangana Drivers Samiti, he told this correspondent, “I belong to a family which had to earn their daily bread with much difficulty. I am aware of the people’s problems and can solve the issues of the people of the Quthbullapur constituency one by one.”

He said that as union president he had had given a representation to the government regarding the problems being faced by cab drivers with regard to app-based taxi companies, traffic police rules among others. 

“The leaders did nothing for the drivers but only offered lip service,” Mr Sunil said.

“We do not believe leaders any more. We would like to solve our problems ourselves,” he said.

“I will try to bring an Act for the welfare of drivers. We don’t even have a welfare board till now,” he added.