Union leaders Bala Sanap, KK Tiwari and Shashank Rao call for indefinite auto-taxi strike across Mumbai, starting tomorrow; only ray of hope is a meeting with transport commissioner
Three men are going to hold Mumbai to ransom tomorrow having declared an indefinite auto-taxi strike across the city, starting Monday. Union leaders Bala Sanap, KK Tiwari and Sharad Rao's son Shashank had called for the strike, when their demands for the approval of the City Taxi Scheme fell on deaf ears.
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Bala Sanap
Worried about the impact of the strike on commuters and office-goers, the state transport department has urgently called for a meeting of all stakeholders on Sunday. Transport commissioner Pravin Gedam will chair the meeting.
As of now, Sanap- and Tiwari-led taxi unions are going on a strike from August 29, while Rao will start his protest from August 31. All three unions have the same grouse over the non-implementation of the City Taxi Scheme, which was expected to bring mobile aggregators like Uber and Ola, under a common law.
KK Tiwari
Speaking to mid-day, Sanap said taxi drivers have already been treated unfairly at the hands of the state government. "The state has replaced petrol and diesel taxis with CNGs, introduced electronic meters, which are far more expensive than the mechanical ones, and demanded costlier vehicles for taxis. Now, they aren't doing much about these mobile aggregators," said Sanap, union leader of Jai Bhagwan Taxi Rickshaw Sangathana (JBTRS).
The JBTRS said that the transport department has called for a meeting to sort out all the issues. But, while the state transport department is working on a Sunday to ensure that the strike is called off, the unions are adamant that they will go ahead with it.
Read Story: Auto-rickshaw, taxi drivers strike against app-based cabs
Shashank Rao
"Transport department officials have called us for a meeting, but we refused. We won't go for a meeting, unless it is attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is supposed to take the final decision on the City Taxi Scheme," said Tiwari, union leader, Swabhimaan Taxi Rickshaw Sanghatana. Shashank Rao of Mumbai Auto Rickshaw and Taximen's Union also said that they would go ahead with the strike on August 31. "We have finalised this date and until the City Taxi Scheme doesn't get implemented, we will definitely call for a strike on August 31," he said.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena-backed autorickshaw union, Shivsangram Sanghatana too has jumped into the fray and has threatened to go on a similar protest after the Ganesh festival is over. "We do not want to trouble people and hence, will ensure that some autos and taxis are on the road. But, if the CM doesn't take any action until the Ganesh festival, we shall go ahead and protest," said union leader advocate Uday Ambonkar.
Transport commissioner Gedam confirmed that the meeting would be held at the Transport Commissioner's Office in Kalanagar. "I will be holding a meeting with the unions," he said, without divulging further details.
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