Maharashtra: App-based cab drivers protest with Pune to Mumbai march

Three protesting cabbies have been walking the 150km distance from Pune to Mumbai to highlight the plight of appbased cabs and their problems Affiliated to the Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha these three have been working as cab drivers in Pune and have been upset with the injustice meted out to them as app cab driversStarting from Pune on April 10 the trio have walked their way to Mumbai with four halts and reached the city border this morning to be at Azad Maidan on Wednesday to hand over a petition to the authorities The trioParmeshwar Ghonge Santosh Durge and Vaibhav Bhegde all in their 40s had crossed Andheri and reached near the international airport in the evening on their way to Azad MaidanWhat is the protest aboutThe protest has been undertaken to highlight the administrations attention of the administration to the fact that appbased companies are doing business illegally across the state and there has been strong dissatisfaction among the driversIn particular the arbitrary rates displayed on the app ignoring the orders of the Transport Department and the continuation of bike taxi services in cities like Mumbai and Nagpur despite several FIRs being filed without any valid license have caused widespread discontent among both drivers and passengersOther issues include repeated charging of fees from drivers under the guise of lsquopanic buttonrsquo lack of transparency in commission and noncompliance with governmentapproved ratesIn Maharashtra Mumbai Metropolitan Region appbased cabs Ola Uber Rapido are now mandated to follow governmentnotified rates These rates aim to balance fares between passenger affordability and driver earnings But companies have been reportedly ignoring them citing surge pricing and other factorsTrade union supportWe have called it padayatra for justice The foot march started by three cab drivers from Pune on 10 April 2026 has reached the Andheri Airport area today 14 April This march has been organised to protest against the injustice being done to cab drivers in the state and the arbitrary management of appbased companies On 15 April 2026 these cab drivers will reach Azad Maidan in Mumbai at 4 pm after which they will meet the transport officials and submit their representation Dr Keshav Nana Kshirsagar president Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha told midday Kshirsagar has been the pioneer of the OnlyMeter campaign to enforce strict adherence to metered fares for auto rickshaws and taxis bypassing appbased surge pricingThe planWhile the team leader Dr Keshav Kshirsagar an MBBS himself has been guiding the protestors for any medical requirements all along on their way his team has been providing support by getting the medication required while on the ground The team has braved the sun and walked the distance with four pit stops at night Talegaon Khopoli Kamothe and Sanpada for two to three hoursThe routePune RTO Talegaon Khopoli Panvel Kamothe Sanpada Vashi Andheri Airport Azad MaidanThe trioSantosh DurgeOur legs ached the sun drained us out But the fight needs to go on The rates given by the government are not seen in the app due to which there are fights between us and commuters The app companies are not following government norms and we are facing the heat The app bikes are operating illegally and have made a big dent in the business Despite the government banning them they are operating with impunity Besides this there are a lot of other issuesParmeshwar GhongeWe fell ill on the way had a lot of medical issues but the determination to fight injustice kept me going and we were provided with timely medical advice We intend to reach Mumbai and hand over the petition to the transport minister and the Chief Minister It is unfair that despite government notification the rules are not being followedVaibhav BhegdeWe got blisters on the feet and chafing on the inner thigh due to excessive walking but the determination to complete the protest has not dwindled We represent the app cab community and all this is to get the attention of the government Various drivers and app cab owners supported us all the way through the journeyOfficial speakWe have several times asked companies to give government rates on their applications but companies are pointing fingers at each other for not obeying his orders We have been following up on the issue a transport official said