New Delhi Apr 19 PTI The strike called by drivers attached to ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Ola demanding subsidy on CNG prices and revision of fare rates will continue even as there was slight respite for commuters on the second day of the stir on Tuesday as autos were back on roadsAuto-rickshaw and yellow-black taxi unions which were a part of the strike on Monday have decided to postpone their demonstration bringing much-needed relief to DelhiitesRavi Rathore president of the Sarvodaya Driver Welfare Association Delhi which represents drivers attached to app-based cab aggregators said that the strike will continue on WednesdayWe had a meeting with Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot in which he said that he cannot hike fares of cabs plying with app based cab aggregators like Ola and Uber So we have decided to continue our strike on Wednesday Rathore told PTIAs the app-based cabs remained off the roads several people faced difficulties due to non-availability of rides and surge pricingI am trying to book a cab for my office in Noida Film City from Mayur Vihar but the fare is high due to the strike I usually pay around Rs 300 but today the estimated fare is around Rs 700 Nilesh Kumar a commuter said earlier in the dayHowever the impact of the strike was minimised on Tuesday as auto-rickshaws and yellow-black taxis resumed services I tried booking a cab but the waiting period was about 15-20 minutes and that too at higher rates Since autos were plying today so I decided to take an auto to Lajpat Nagar from AIIMS another commuter Deepika Chaudhary saidThe strike did show its effect in Delhis satellite towns like Noida and Gurgaon too with commuters finding it difficult to get cabs or being charged much higher than usual The charges remained inflated till 11 am and somewhat normal during the lean afternoon hours Joginder a bike-cab rider said he was taking customers only within Noida and straightaway cancelling requests for Delhi or even Ghaziabad I get around a dozen rides on a normal weekday by lunch time Today I have done only five rides in that duration The fares have been higher though Joginder told PTIThe drivers association also said that any decision to turn it into an indefinite strike will be taken on WednesdayCab drivers also staged a protest at Jantar Mantar to press for their demands We will again hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday where we will take a call regarding indefinite strike Rathore told PTIRathore said apart from the subsidy on CNG the government should also consider revision of faresIt has become tough for auto and cab drivers to survive after a hike in fuel prices Fares of app-based cabs have not been revised for a long time in the city Seeing the steep rise in CNG prices the government should increase fares Rathore demanded PTI AKMKIS ANB ANB

New Delhi Nov 22 PTI The Delhi government on Monday lifted the ban on construction and demolition activities in the city in view of an improvement in air quality and the inconvenience caused to workers Environment Minister Gopal Rai saidHe also said the government will take a call on reopening of schools colleges and other educational institutions and work-from-home for government staff during a review meeting on WednesdayWe will discuss if CNG-operated trucks carrying non-essential items be allowed to enter Delhi if the situation continues to improve Rai saidThe Delhi government had on Sunday night extended the ban on the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items and work-from-home for its employees till November 26 to combat air pollution and minimise its health effectsFor some time the air quality index remained above the 600-mark However stringent and comprehensive steps taken to contain air pollution and change in the wind pattern have resulted in a gradual decline in air pollution levels which had been increasing since Diwali the minister saidIn view of the improvement in the air quality and inconvenience caused to workers we have decided to lift the ban on construction and demolition activities However the government will continue to monitor the implementation of dust control measures All agencies will have to strictly follow the 14-point guidelines issued against dust pollution he said at a press conferenceFollowing orders from the Commission for Air Quality Management CAQM the Delhi government had on Wednesdayissued10directions including a ban on construction and demolition activities and work-from-home provision for its staff till SundayAll the 10-point action plan measures apart from construction ban will continue for now Rai saidHe said 585 monitoring teams have been working to ensure compliance of directionsIf any agency is found violating dust control norms the government will stop work and impose a penalty without notice the environment minister warnedHe said the government has hired 1000 private CNG-operated buses to augment public transport These have Prayavaran Bus Sewa written on them and have the same facilities as the DTC onesHe also said up to 17 people can travel standing in a bus and 30 per coach in Delhi MetroThe drive to impound old petrol and diesel vehicles and pollution-under-control certificate checking will continue to tackle vehicle pollutionFour thousand people have been fined Rs 10000 each this month so far for violating pollution norms he saidStrong surface winds gusting up to 25 kilometers per hour barrelled through the capital on Monday dispersing pollutants and improving the air quality Delhis 24-hour average Air Quality Index stood at 311 down from 349 on SundayPTI GVS SRY

New Delhi Nov 22 PTI The Delhi government has lifted the ban on construction and demolition activities in view of an improvement in the air quality and inconvenience caused to workers Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on MondayRai also said the government will take a call on the reopening of schools colleges and other educational institutions and work-from-home for government staff during a review meeting on WednesdayWe will also discuss if CNG-operated trucks carrying non-essential items can be allowed to enter Delhi if the situation continues to improve he saidThe Delhi government on Sunday night extended the ban on the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items and work-from-home for its employees till November 26 to combat air pollution and minimise its health effectsFor some time the air quality index remained above the 600--mark However steps taken to contain air pollution and change in the wind pattern have resulted in a gradual decline in air pollution levels he saidIn view of the improvement in the air quality and inconvenience caused to workers we have decided to lift the ban on construction and demolition activities However the government will continue to monitor the implementation of dust control measures by all agencies Rai said at a press conferenceHe said 585 monitoring teams have been working to ensure compliance of directionsIf any agency is found violating dust control norms the government will stop work and impose a penalty without notice Rai warnedThe minister said the government has hired 1000 private CNG-operated buses to augment public transport These will have Prayavaran Bus Sewa written on them and people can travel on them like DTC busesStrong surface winds gusting up to 30 kilometers per hour barrelled through the capital on Monday dispersing pollutants and improving the air quality Delhis Air Quality Indiex AQI stood at 307 at 1 pm down from 349 at 4 pm on Sunday PTI GVS KJ