Bilaspur (HP), April 7 The head of a major taxi drivers' union announced on Tuesday that they will block the borders of Himachal Pradesh if the government does not implement the rollback of taxes on commercial vehicles, as previously announced.
Ramratan Sharma, the president of the All Himachal Pradesh Taxi Operator and Driver Welfare Association, gave an ultimatum of April 9 before protests would hit the state.
Sharma told reporters in Bilaspur that as many as 132 unions would stage simultaneous protests at 33 checkpoints at state borders if the government does not meet their demand.
On April 2, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that light commercial vehicles registered in Himachal Pradesh – such as pickups, taxis, and three-wheelers – are exempt from toll tax.
However, despite the exemption, Sharma said, taxi drivers are being charged toll tax "arbitrarily and illegally" at state entry points.