Taxis to go off the roads, again

Taxis to go off the roads, again
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

Mumbai, March 19: Less than three months after they went on a three-day strike, taxis have again threatened to keep off the roads from the midnight of March 20. The latest move comes as a protest against the withdrawal of 15,000 taxis from the roads following a Bombay High Court order on polluting vehicles. Autorickshaws will also join the strike from March 24 and other goods and passenger transport operators from April 2 onwards if the demands of the transport unions are not met.

``We are just asking for more time for following the HC orders. How will a poor taxi driver replace his existing diesel converted taxi if he does not have enough funds and time for it?'' asked Frederick D'Sa, Bombay Taximen Union leader and spokesperson of the Mumbai Mal Vahatuk and Pravasi Vahatuk Malak-Chalak Kruti Samiti which has called the strike. D'Sa added taxis are being targetted and not being treated on a par with the other 3 lakh diesel vehicles plying in the city.

``We withdrew our strike on January 5 this year because the Chief Minister had intervened and because of the assurance of the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat that our case would be presented before the court. But no action has been taken and instead, 15,000 taxis have been forced to go off the roads. Even in Delhi, the administration had given transporters two years to change their engines,'' he said.

The taxi union says the transport department failed to produce true facts before the high court, due to which defenceless taxi operators are being penalised.

Meanwhile, Transport Commissioner V M Lal has warned that if anyone is found to be involved in an illegal strike, action would be initiated under Section 86 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which may include revocation of driving permit and licences and impounding of vehicles. He said drivers who will take part in the strike would also face action.

Taximen said pollution is also related to fuel quality, quality of spare parts, road conditions and traffic management, which is not in their hands. ``We have been protesting peacefully from February onwards at the Azad Maidan, but the government has failed to take a stand. We are in a Catch 22 situation. If we go to the RTO, our licences are summarily cancelled. If we don't, then too we are targeted,'' said D'Sa.

``The transport commissioner is behaving like a dictator. Ours is the worst tragedy after the textile strike when thousands of children of jobless mill workers took to the underworld. Does the government want the same thing to happen to us? You cannot wish away thousands of taxi drivers and their families.''

The taximen's union has, meanwhile, taken a decision not to block US President Bill Clinton's entourage from the airport to Hotel Oberoi when he arrives in the city. Instead, they have asked the police to let them demonstrate peacefully either at Prabhadevi, Wilson College or at Hutatma Chowk. However, the authorities have not yet responded to the demand.