Automobile Association to seek govt advertisement
Kolkata: Automobile Association of Eastern India chairman Madan Mitra will write to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking government advertisements for transport operators in the wake of COVID 19 pandemic.
"We will meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee next week and give an open letter urging her to give some government advertisements (vehicle roof-top or digital or other forms) to transport (online cab, luxury taxi, yellow taxi and autorickshaw) operators," said Mitra, after conducting a joint meeting with online cab, yellow taxi and autorickshaw operators on different transport issues due to COVID-19 pandemic in the city on Thursday.
He reiterated that the whole transport sector across the country has been paralyzed due to lockdown. The Central government did not even bother to give any subsidy to save the transport sector. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already given a monthly dole of Rs 15,000 each to 6,000 private buses in the city for three months on June 26.
State government had earlier introduced Gatidhara project to help unemployed youths get a means of livelihood. Under the scheme, the Mamata Banerjee government provides financial support of Rs 1 lakh to each beneficiary, to buy a commercial vehicle.
"There are 50,000 luxury taxi owners. And eight lakh people are associated with the luxury taxi business. We are suffering huge losses due to COVID 19 pandemic," said Saikat Pal, general secretary of Luxury Taxi Association.
