Published Aug 23, 2026 | 10:23 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 23, 2026 | 10:23 PM
The government also announced plans to launch a State-run aggregator app on the lines of Ola and Uber.
Synopsis: Auto, cab and school driver unions in Telangana called off their strike scheduled to begin at midnight on 23 August after talks with Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and department officials. The government agreed in principle to revise fares unchanged since 2012, set up a welfare board and develop a State-run ride-hailing aggregator.
Auto, cab and school driver unions on Sunday, 23 August called off their strike scheduled to begin at midnight after talks with Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, with the Telangana government agreeing in principle to revise fares, set up a welfare board and develop a State-run aggregator app on the lines of Ola and Uber.
The unions said their meeting with the minister and Transport Department officials had elicited a positive response to their demands. In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the Minister thanked the union representatives for withdrawing the strike call.
The government said a joint meeting involving the Labour and Transport Departments and union representatives would be held on 1 September to finalise further details.
On fares, which have remained unchanged since 2012, the government agreed in principle to a revision and said new rates would be fixed through a formal order soon.
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The government also announced plans to launch a State-run aggregator app on the lines of Ola and Uber.
Officials denied reports that the TSRTC was planning to induct its own electric autos, describing the reports as misinformation. They also agreed to establish a welfare board for RTC and auto workers.
In response to the unions’ demand, officials said only bike taxis bearing yellow number plates would be permitted to carry passengers.
The Minister’s statement said the pre-poll promise of ₹12,000 in assistance to drivers would be taken up with the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and other Ministers, taking the State’s financial position into account.
The government also said it would provide a subsidy of ₹1.5 lakh to retrofit old fuel-powered autos into electric vehicles within Hyderabad’s Core Urban Region (CURE), along with subsidies for the purchase of new autos, as part of efforts to reduce vehicular pollution in the city.
(With inputs from Sreshta Ladegaam)
