A rasta roko was staged by autorickshaw drivers at Maddilapalem junction on the National Highway on Sunday demanding immediate stoppage of what they called harassment by Transport officials’ and bringing the prices of petrol and diesel under the purview of GST. The protest was organised under the auspices of Visakha Autorickshaw Karmika Sangham (CITU).

CITU city president RKSV Kumar said the transport officials were seizing the autos, if there were more than six passengers in an auto.

He described the decision of the State government not to allow the plying of autos on the National Highways between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. as draconian rule.

He said daily wage workers and those working in shops return home only after their duties, which end after 7 p.m. The move would further hit the livelihood of auto drivers, who were already being overburdened by mounting debts as they were purchasing the vehicles after taking loans from private financiers.

Mr. Kumar said it would be difficult to run a family, if a person earned less than ₹18,000 a month. The booking of cases would mean that the driver would have to forfeit his days income on payment of fines. He said a massive rally would be organised from the Visakhapatnam Railway Station to RTC Complex on July 26.

Union leaders D. Appalaraju, K. Satyanarayana, A. Simhachalam, K. Kumari, Ali and Govind were among those who participated in the rasta roko.