Auto Strike In Mumbai Paralyzes Life
By Arnab Ghosh, Gaea News NetworkTuesday, June 22, 2010
MUMBAI, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- For the residents of Mumbai Tuesday brought absolute chaos and disorder, as the auto rickshaw and taxi owners in the city went on a strike. The Office goers and students were the worst hit and they had to flock to overcrowded suburban trains and buses. Almost 100000 auto rickshaws and 80000 taxis plying in the financial capital of India went off the roads bringing mass transport on its knees. The hike in the price of CNG made them apply for fare hike which has not been addressed. This has prompted the taxi and auto owners resort to strike.
The Mumbai auto unions that have supported the strike want the minimum fare to be increased to INR 15 from INR 6. They also want to charge INR 8 for every subsequent km. While all taxi and auto rickshaw owners do not belong to the union that have called the strike they do not want their cars to be damaged. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, the Maharashtra Transport Minister has met with the Mumbai Auto union representatives over the issue and a solution is likely to come up. The Taxi Union wants the lowest fare for Black and Yellow colored cars to be hiked to INR 16 from INR 14.
Whenever the fuel price goes up the transport operators demand hike in the fares and this is a case with the metros. They resort to strikes to get the desired fare and it is the reason the auto rickshaw and taxi drivers have called the strike in Mumbai. The transport ministry is on tenterhooks over the issue.
