Delhiites may need to brace for delayed commute, running late to work and switching the other forms of public transport as commercial vehicle drivers’ unions in Delhi have announced a three-day strike from May 21 to 23, demanding a fare revision amid rising fuel costs. The protest call comes after fuel prices were raised again on Tuesday, the second hike within a week. Petrol in Delhi now costs ₹98.64 per litre from ₹97.77 earlier and diesel ₹91.58f rom ₹90.67 after hikes totalling nearly ₹4 per litre over the past few days. On Sunday, CNG prices, too, were increased twice within 48 hours, with rates in Delhi now standing at ₹80.09 per kilogram after a total hike of ₹3.The strike has been called from May 21 to May 23. (File Photos: Sushil Kumar and Amal KS/ HT (for representational purpose ony))According to a letter sent by the “Chalak Shakti Union” to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister, Transport Minister and Police Commissioner, the strike has been called in solidarity with a nationwide agitation announced by the All India Motor Transport Congress and also stated that apart from the current rise in fuel prices, taxi fares in Delhi-NCR have not been revised for nearly 15 years despite a steep rise in the prices of CNG, petrol and diesel.The question arise if the ripple effect is now beginning to show up in everyday commutes across the city? Cab and auto drivers say the continuous increase in petrol, diesel and CNG prices has made it increasingly difficult to sustain daily operations, while passengers are already beginning to feel the impact through rising cab fares and surge pricing If the strike holds, thousands of autos and cabs will go off the roads, leaving daily passengers to scramble.Drivers: Will lose 3 days’ worth of pay, but have no choiceFor the drivers themselves, the strike call is as much a gamble as it is a protest. For auto driver Rambir Singh, who has been on Delhi’s roads for over a decade, the three-day strike means three days of zero income — and he knows it. “EMI hai, bachon ki fees hai, ghar ka kharcha hai. Teen din band matlab teen din bhooke rehna. Lekin agar ab bhi nahi bole toh hum kabhi nahi bolenge,” he says. “We understand commuters will face inconvenience if the strike happens, but drivers are struggling too,” says Sunil Kumar, an auto driver from East Delhi. “CNG prices have gone up twice in just a few days. Earlier, after a full day’s work, I could manage expenses and still save something. Now, most of the money goes straight into fuel.”App-based cab drivers say the situation has become increasingly difficult with rising fuel prices, platform commissions and vehicle maintenance costs all adding up together. “Earlier, filling my car’s tank would cost me around ₹3,200-3,500, but now it easily crosses ₹4,000,” says Mohammad Arif, who has been driving a cab in Delhi for six years. “People assume drivers earn a lot during surge pricing, but after rise in fuel expenses and app commissions, very little is left. We are working the same 12-hour shifts but saving much less.”I’m paying ₹60 more for the same ride to work, a strike is the last thing we want Priya Mehra, 29, a marketing executive who commutes daily from Lajpat Nagar to Nehru Place, says she noticed the shift in her ride-hailing bills even before it became a talking point. “A strike is the last thing we want. It just makes everything more uncertain. Autos are anyhow barely available now as you keep waiting, and if you do get one, the fare is already high or they refuse short distances,” she says. “If the strike actually happens, then I really don’t have a choice — I’ll have to shift to the Metro, which means at least 45 minutes extra travel each way.”For daily office-goers dependent on app-based cabs, the price rise is already visible on phone screens. “My office commute from Rajouri Garden to Gurugram usually cost around ₹320-350 a few days ago, but now it is touches ₹430-450 during peak hours,” says Ananya Mehra, an IT professional. “Even short distances have become expensive because fares keep fluctuating through the day.”For more, follow HT City Delhi Junction