A leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress in Kolkata adopted a unique way to protest against the surge in fuel prices across the state. Ratan Dey, the councilor of Ward no 93 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, was seen riding a cycle rickshaw on Wednesday at the Lord’s crossing in South Kolkata at around 11 am. Dey was not riding the rickshaw alone but he ferried a passenger.
This rickshaw show was, of course, part of a greater protest against the fuel price hike that took place on Wednesday, with local TMC leaders and workers voicing their opinion against what they termed callousness on part of the Central government. With this protest the TMC sent out a message to the Centre that the surging fuel prices have forced the common man to rely more on public transport and cycles instead of their bikes or cars for daily commuting.
Of late, petrol price in the eastern state has reached Rs 102 per liter, while diesel now costs Rs 93 per liter.
After the second wave of Covid-19, which took away innumerable lives, several states across the country are now preparing for the third wave. West Bengal is still under a semi-lockdown situation with public transport being allowed sparingly on the roads. The bus owners’ association has written to the state government several times seeking to hike the fare, but their pleas have so far have not been granted. However, the government is looking to lessen the toll tax rates to ease the burden on public transport.
With buses already suffering because of Covid-19, the rising petrol and diesel prices have literally added ‘fuel’ to the fire. The high rates are still keeping many buses off roads, adding to the misery of drivers and conductors.
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