Mumbai: Stands? What's that, ask cab and auto drivers at BKC

Lack of auto rickshaw and taxi stands seems to be at the heart of the anarchy that prevails at BandraKurla Complex A review of the situation on the ground has shown that the existing four taxi and one auto stands in the area are in reality used for parking of public transport and private vehiclesAuto and taxi drivers seem to have come up with stands at random spots in the business area and pick up passengers from wherever they feel like During peak hours the autos and taxis park right in front of the offices waiting for longdistance fares adding to the chaos and traffic jams in the areaHeres what midday foundICICI Bank Main road sideThere are two stands for taxis and one for autos along the stretch One of the stands can accommodate 15 taxis and the second stand five The only authentic auto stand approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Transport Authority clearly mentions ICICI Bank to Bandra station E per passenger R12 It is clear that at this fare no autos are willing to operate from this spotPicsAtul KmableICICI Bank inside roadThe scenario at the third taxi stand which can accommodate 10 taxis was not any different The three or four taxis at this spot have been using the space to take a break There were also several private vehicles parked illegally at the spot Barely a few steps away on the other side of the road the autos have lined up outside ICICI Bank gates to pick up passengers as they exit the officesDiamond Market Gate no8Apart from a few taxis we also found autos parked in the middle of the queue Each one trying to overtake the other vehicle to woo passengersIllegal StandsOpposite SEBIThere are 10 to 15 autos lined up here at any given point to ferry passengers to the station They ferry more than three passengers and many times commuters are overchargedDiamond Market gate Main road sideAutos and taxis park right in front of the gate to pick up passengers as they exit the Diamond Market gateBharat Nagar Signal Main Road sideThis is a major signal at BKC at this spot where auto and taxi drivers park near the bus stop trying to woo passengers waiting for the bus Despite there being no legal stand here the taxis and autos line both sides of the roadAuto drivers demand more stands but RTO shrugs off responsibilitySanjay Jadhav president of the Utkarsh Riksha Chalak Malak Sanghatan blamed the authorities for not providing enough stands in Bandra East and BKC He said We have asked the authorities to provide us at least 10 auto stands at BKC but they are not listening to us We got the first auto stand near ICICI Bank in 2012 Since then the population and demand have increased but we are yet to get moreJadhav added We have asked them to give stands from Bandra station east to MTNL City Bank Diamond Market Laxmi Tower ILFS Government Colony Joggers ark Guru Nanak Hospital and MIG Club The proposal is still pending if we get these stands it will be a major relief Currently because there are no stands there officials fine our men upwards of Rs 210On the other hand Abhay Deshpande regional transport officer of the Andheri RTO passed the buck Providing a stand is not in our hands For that there is a Stand committee which includes officials from BMC or MMRDA traffic division local police and RTO We first need the permission of the authority that owns the land such as BMC or MMRDA Once we get their permission the local police will survey the land to rule out any law and order issues After the polices NOC the traffic department will inspect the area to ensure there will not be any traffic disturbance from a stand Only after that do we set up a stand thereIts not fareUnion leader Jadhav also said that auto drivers have been petitioning for a revision in the sharing rates The sharing rate printed on the stand is Rs 12 per passenger from ICICI to Bandra station This rate was approved in 2010 by the RTOSince then the general tariffs have increased but our fares have not been changed he said But Deshpande argued Already share auto drivers get 33 per cent extra They have no right to overcharge or fight with passengers nor can they refuse to plyCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates