New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) With the revised motor vehicle rules coming into effect from April 1, the Aam Aadmi Party Friday asked the Union government to reduce registration and fitness certificate renewal fee for auto rickshaws and taxis.

The party slammed the Centre for "drastically increasing" the fees for the renewal of the vehicles' registration and fitness certificates as well as amount of penalty for delay in applying for renewal, saying the Narendra Modi government has unleashed "a war against the poor" in country.

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If the revised fees and amount of penalty is not reduced, the auto rickshaw and taxi drivers in Delhi will be left with no other option but to start "a massive movement" against the Union government, the party warned.

"The Modi government has unleashed a war against the poor by drastically increasing the fee for the renewal of registration and fitness certificate of taxis and auto rickshaws, and also the amount of penalty for delay in applying for them," senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said in a video message.

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He said the increased fee and the amount of penalty will "completely ruin" the lives of the auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in Delhi.

The AAP leader urged the prime minister to consider reducing the fees, saying, "You have looted every one but please spare auto rickshaw and taxi drivers."

As per revised fee notified by the Union Ministry of Transport, renewal of the registration certificate of the three-wheelers will cost Rs 2,500 while it will be Rs 5000 for the light motor vehicles.

An additional fee of Rs 200 will be levied if the certificate of registration issued is a smart card type. In case of delay in applying for the renewal of certificate of registration, an additional fee of Rs 500 for every month will be levied.

The owner of a three-wheeler or a light motor vehicle will have to pay Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 for testing of the fitness of their vehicle. An additional fee of Rs 50 per day of delay after expiry of certificate of fitness will be levied, stipulates the Central Motor Vehicles (Twenty Third Amendment) Rules, notified in october last year.

"The auto and taxi drivers make Rs 200-400 at the end of the day. How will they be able to pay such exorbitant fees and fines? This is pure exploitation," The AAP leader said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)