Mumbaikars should brace for travel trouble on Tuesday as taxi drivers have gone on strike protesting the operation of app-based taxi aggregators like Ola, Uber and Taxi for Sure in the city.
Majority of the 40,000 taxis plying on city roads including black and yellow as well as Cool cabs (AC) have gone on strike since morning. Few taxis are visible and passengers are forced to take other mode of transport like BEST buses and Suburban railway. Passengers in island city are facing more difficulties as no autorickshaws are allowed in island city. They can ply only in suburbs.
Swabhiman Taxi-Rickshaw union, lead by Congress MLA Nitesh Rane, had threatened a protest rally and demonstrations outside transport commissioner office from 10am onwards. The union also warned indefinite dharana agitation there, in which auto rickshaw will also participate, if government ignored their demand to stop ‘illegal’ operation of Ola and Uber cabs.
Swabhiman Union leader KK Tiwari claimed that they had given call only for a rally. Cabbies voluntarily gone off road. “There is unrest among city taxi-rickshaw drivers about Ola and Uber. Therefore, cabbies voluntarily gone off road,” he said adding that they are going ahead with the rally and demonstration plan for which large number of taxi drivers expected to gather.
Also, there is no report of vandalism of taxis in the city. Otherwise, union vandalise some taxis for sending taxis off road, when they give strike call. But this time its not the case. Taxi drivers are saying that they voluntarily choose to remain off road as their business in trouble. “What we should do if our daily earning came down to half, from 1100-1200,” said Ramakant Surve, 53, a cabbie from Lalbaug.
A Kurla resident said that he surprised to see not a single taxi on road. “I had to visit Siddhivinayak due to Sankashti Chaturthi with a friend. But surprisingly no taxi was available on road for long time. So i took bus which was very crowded,” said Sharad Sable.
Meanwhile, the transport commissioner office and state authorities completely ignored Swabhiman union’s warning and no preparation was done to ensure hassle free travel for commuters.