The Election Commission owes payment to around 25,000 taxi drivers in Kerala who provided vehicles for the Lok Sabha elections. The majority of vehicles were needed for transporting polling materials to booths and for election observation.
Thiruvananthapuram: The State Election Commission owes payment to around 25,000 taxi vehicles hired for the Lok Sabha elections in the state, leaving the drivers with outstanding rent arrears. Despite repeated requests for payment, the Election Commission has only responded with assurances that the taxi workers will be paid when they ask for it.
Following the election announcement, the commission hired vehicles across all 20 constituencies for various purposes. Taxi vehicles were utilized for election-related activities for 2 to 40 days. The majority of vehicles were needed for transporting polling materials to booths and for election observation. The commission hired contract carriage vehicles with seating capacities ranging from 7 to 30 seats, which are now awaiting payment. The pre-agreed rental fees ranged from Rs 4,400 to Rs 6,500 for a maximum of 100 km per day, plus an additional Rs 350 as batta (allowance).
Despite the agreement, many taxi workers have yet to receive payment. They approached the elected representatives of their respective constituencies but were told that the Election Commission needed to take direct action. The Commission, however, attributes the delay to a "file change" process, leaving the taxi workers in a state of uncertainty.