Auto Strike In Mumbai Ends, Commuters Relieved
By Arnab Ghosh, Gaea News NetworkTuesday, June 22, 2010
MUMBAI, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- The residents of Mumbai were taken aback by the taxi and auto strike that began from Monday midnight and it brought the traffic to a halt on Tuesday morning. Nearly 100000 autos and 80000 taxi owners took their cars off road thus leaving the commuters at the mercy of the crowded buses and suburban trains of Mumbai. The students and the office goers suffered the worst. However, in a new development the taxi and auto drivers have withdrawn the strike. The strike was called after they wanted fare hike following a rise in the cost of CNG.
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the Transport Minister of Maharashtra met with the auto and Taxi union leaders in the afternoon and he said that he will revise their demands for a fare hike. The strike was called by a group set up by Narayan Rane’s son Nitesh Rane and it is named Swabhimaan. Nitesh Rane later said that he is withdrawing the strike and by evening the taxis and autos will be back on the roads of Mumbai. He also said that the intention of the strike was not to make common men suffer.
The auto owners have gained from the strike as the fare is going to increase with effect from Thursday. The fate of the Taxi fare in Mumbai will also be decided and declared shortly. Sharad Rao, the president of Bombay Autorickshaw and Taximen’s Union said that the auto fares have been hiked. More than 100000 autos will be affected by this hike. The end of the strike has reassured the common man.
