``There shall be no negotiations on this, we want this notification to be withdrawn in its totality,'' Sharad Rao told Express Newsline after a meeting of the unions today.

The introduction of 12-seat maxicabs in the state could seriously dent the business of buses run by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking, taxis and autorickshaws all over the state. The loss-making MSRTC has already estimated losses of Rs 600 crore.

The formation of two committees was announced at a meeting of BEST, MSRTC, taxi and autorickshaw unions presided over by Sharad Rao at Savarkar Hall at Dadar today. The first, a coordination committee including Hanumant Thatte, A L Quadros andShivajirao Chavan, will negotiate the withdrawal of the controversial notification.

The action committee, headed by Rao, will steer the course of the strike, which could include about 10 lakh persons state-wide. This is the first time all transport unions have united on an issue.

The unions have presented a charter of 10 demands, which also asks the government to settle all pending issues of the BEST, MSRTC and taxi unions and withdraw the profession tax imposed on them. They have also demanded a halt to the alleged harassment by traffic police and Regional Transport Office officials.

The unions also want the withdrawal of a May 31 notification making electronic meters compulsory for all taxis and autorickshaws in the state compulsory.

``The introduction of maxicabs violates all norms. There was no mandatory public notice before they were introduced, just a government notification,'' says Rao, who says the strike will be indefinite if the government is stubborn.

The notification has anotherprovision which pegs the life of a stage carriage vehicles like rickshaws and taxis at nine years. Unions have termed this disturbing as it will spell a death knell for its flagging trade.While the government says maxicabs will not ply in cities, the taxi and auto unions say it's only a matter of time before they do. ``The notification says that maxicabs will be introduced in all revenue districts, Mumbai happens to have two revenue districts,'' says Mumbai Autorickshawmen's Union General Secretary AL Quadros. Coming as it does so close to Lok Sabha and Assembly election, union leaders have attributed political motives to the maxicabs. Others say it could be a move to boost certain automobile giants .``The Shiv Sena wants to distribute permits amongst more than 5000 of its partymen,'' alleged Quadros. The introduction of over 5000 maxicabs will only serve to add to the already chaotic traffic scenario in the towns and cities, union leaders say.