CM delays meet with union, full fledged auto-taxi strike likely on August 29
Representational Image. Picture Courtesy: WSJ
Following the cancellation of the meet with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other stakeholders, Jai Bhagwan Taxi and Rickshaw Sanghatana (JBTRS) Union has called for an indefinite auto and taxi strike from August 29.
The union is reportedly unhappy with the fact that the CM delayed a meet with its leaders repeatedly and failed to take a decision regarding the regularisation of app-based taxi aggregators like Ola and Uber.
A meeting involving the CM, union leaders and aggregators was supposed to be held on Monday. However, Fadnavis called off the meeting at the last minute without announcing an alternate date.
Following the cancellation, the union announced that most auto and taxi drivers from the city will be going on an indefinite strike from August 29 to protest against the unregulated cabs and government’s lack of apathy. The announcement was made on Wednesday.
The Jai Bhagwan Taxi and Rickshaw Sanghatana had called for a similar strike on July 28, but it was called off a day before, after the union’s leader Babasaheb Sanap met with Fadnavis. “The Chief minister has assured to introduce the policy for regulating app based taxis within a week. Therefore we have decided to suspend and postpone our agitation for 10 days,” Sanap said after meeting with the CM.
The leader had also warned of a full fledged strike if the government failed to take a decision about taxi aggregators by August 5.
Mumbai has around 1.5 lakh taxis and autos, all of whom have witnessed a decline in business since the launch of aggregators like Ola and Uber in the city.
