Delhi auto-rickshaw and taxi operators have threatened an indefinite hunger strike from 20 November after manual fitness inspections failed to begin at the Burari Vehicle Inspection Unit despite directions from the transport commissioner, according to the All Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union.
The union said thousands of drivers reached the Burari centre after being assured that inspections would restart from 11 November. However, the process did not begin because officials were allegedly absent and slots were unavailable on the online portal, union president Kishan Verma said.
Vehicle fitness certification is required for commercial vehicles to remain compliant and operate legally. The reported stoppage has left drivers waiting for inspections while continuing to bear costs associated with keeping their vehicles off the road or dealing with delayed renewals. Verma said fitness inspections had been closed since 27 October and that drivers had suffered significant financial losses during the disruption.
The dispute has also expanded beyond the immediate delay at the inspection centre. The union is opposing the electric-vehicle requirement under Delhi’s e-auto policy, which is scheduled to take effect from 1 January next year. It has demanded that drivers be allowed to choose between CNG and electric autos rather than being required to shift to one fuel technology.
The union has set 15 November as the deadline for the government to take concrete decisions on its demands. These include restarting fitness inspections at Burari, increasing fares and forming a welfare board for auto and taxi drivers. If the demands are not addressed by the deadline, the union has warned that drivers will begin an indefinite hunger strike outside the Chief Minister’s residence from 20 November.
The episode places the functioning of Delhi’s commercial-vehicle inspection system at the centre of a wider operational dispute. The Burari unit is a key point for drivers seeking fitness certification, and a failure of manual processing or online slot allocation can prevent vehicles from completing a mandatory compliance procedure. The report does not specify how many vehicles are awaiting inspection or when the transport department will restore the service.
The immediate next step is the union’s 15 November deadline. The proposed protest is scheduled to begin on 20 November if the union says that no concrete decision has been taken on fitness inspections, fares and the welfare board. The transport department’s response and the resumption of manual inspections at Burari will determine whether the threatened action proceeds.
