The Mumbai Taximen’s Union led by A L Quadros will protest against “harassment by men-in-khaki” outside two police stations in the city on Tuesday.
“We have not called for any strike, but some cabbies may join the stir,” he said. The agitation could lead to shortage of cabs on roads, specially in central Mumbai. Quadros, who leads the biggest taxi union in the city, said that cabbies were being regularly harassed by cops.
“At Wadala (RAK Marg), our taxis are lined up in double parking as there is shortage of space. The cops often book the drivers and instead of applying the section for double parking, they slap a serious Indian Penal Code section. It is a harassment to knock out hefty fines from our drivers,” he alleged. Police sources said that they had caught drivers for “wrong parking” and fined them in accordance with the law.
The cabbies will also protest at Bhoiwada against policemen who allegedly pester cabbies for “carrying heavy luggage”. On Thursday, the Swabhiman taxi union led by Nitesh Rane plans to take a morcha of auto drivers and cabbies to the office of Ola. “We will not allow the taxi aggregator to operate and will lock their premises,” said Rane union member K K Tiwari