I finally got down and took a bus to reach my college,' said Rashid Akhtar, a first year student of Jamia Milia University.

Meanwhile, a meeting called by the Delhi government Monday to settle the matter could not take place as Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely was busy with some other official work.

'We were called to discuss the matter but the minister was busy and nothing could happen. We have decided to carry on our strike Tuesday for the government is not listening to our problems. We have been regularly harassed by police and officials of the transport department,' Sobran Singh Rajput, president of the Bharatiya Tipahiya Chalak Sangh, told IANS.

Rajput claimed if an auto-rickshaw driver leaves his licence at home by mistake, he is fined up to Rs. 20,000.

'We are also asked to produce last year's pollution control certificates by traffic police cops although government has issued new certificates to us. When we say we have this year's pollution check certificates, they insist on the previous year's too or else slap a fine of Rs.4,550,' he said.

However, the Delhi government has decided to take stringent action against auto drivers not complying with the orders.

'Auto-rickshaw drivers are striking to resist any kind of clean-up. We will not let the unruliness continue on Delhi's roads with drivers plying without a licence,' said Lovely.