Cab and rickshaw drivers from Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Sambhajinagar and other parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday gathered for the protest at Azad Maidan
Cab and rickshaw drivers from Maharashtra on Tuesday launched a protest at Azad Maidan. Pic/Special Arrangement by Rajendra B. Aklekar
Cab, rickshaw and taxi drivers including aggregator companies, Ola and Uber, from parts of Maharashtra on Tuesday gathered at Mumbai's Azad Maidan to take an oath to vote against the Mahayuti and organised a "begging bowl" protest for "ignoring their demands".
Cab and rickshaw drivers from Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Sambhajinagar and across Maharashtra gathered for the protest at Azad Maidan.
"All the hardworking cabbies and drivers also organised a 'begging bowl' campaign to collect money from the entire state for the event, sponsored by the Rapido company, which is reportedly sponsoring the state's transport minister’s private sports event," Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha president Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, who is spearheading the agitation, told mid-day.
"Despite the fact that the companies Ola, Uber, and Rapido ignored all government orders, the transport ministry has 'showered favour' on them by providing provisional licences instead of fines and blacklisting them. Despite repeatedly assuring the assistant transport commissioner of the state, in writing and verbally, that they would follow the government rates, the companies have not implemented any rates on their mobile applications to date," he added.
On September 16, 2025, the state's Additional Transport Commissioner Bharat Kalaskar ordered all cab and bike aggregator companies to apply government rates on their mobile applications by 5 pm on September 18. However, even after two weeks, the companies have not made any changes to their applications.
The transport department had reportedly filed an FIR against the same companies for illegally operating white-numbered bike taxis. Yet, within fifteen days, the officials issued provisional licences to operate e-bike taxis. While issuing these provisional licences, an affidavit was submitted by the companies stating they would not operate white number plate bike taxis, but despite this, they have been violating the affidavit.
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