Suburbs stuck on road as striking auto drivers slam brakes again

“I had to walk all the way from Dadabhai Road to my college. I had an examination today and was in a bad state by the time I reached the examination hall,” said Eshita Karan,a student.

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) undertaking plied 58 extra buses,while most autorickshaws resumed work by evening.

The union is demanding measures that will help drivers earn at least Rs 25,000 per month. Their other demands include issuance of one lakh new permits,permission to enter the main city,implementation of share rickshaws across Mumbai,a review of fares every January and prepaid autorickshaw stands at major points.

“Autorickshaw drivers barely earn Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 per month. Inflation across the board impacts autorickshaw drivers just as it impacts the common man,” Rao added.

Autorickshaw drivers should be treated as public servants and the government should establish a social welfare fund for the drivers and owners to take care of their pension,gratuity,families’ health and education,Rao said.

Transport Commissioner V N More held a 45-minute meeting with the union leaders in the morning and asked them to submit a more specific list of their demands by October 10. The department will have another meeting with the leaders on October 14.

Meanwhile,the Regional Transport Offices (RTO) are continuing their crackdown on errant autorickshaw drivers. Since mid-September,the Mumbai East RTO has booked 243 drivers for refusing fares,tampering with meters or meters with broken seals,while the Mumbai West RTO has registered 109 such cases.