Call it the dominoes effect.
A day after the government buckled under auto drivers’ pressure and decided to hike their fare from October 10, taxi drivers on Wednesday followed suit and pitched an identical demand.
But, that’s where all the similarities end. Unlike auto drivers’ threat to go on an indefinite strike if their demands were not met, taximen have said they would not turn the roads into a theatre of war to insist that the government give them an ear.
“There is a practical need to raise the fares since hi-end vehicles run as cabs now as compared to Premier Padminis that ran earlier. We have drafted a proposal and will submit it to the government. But we will not protest or strike, but behave as responsible stakeholders of society,” clarified Anthony Quadros, general secretary of the Mumbai Taximen’s Union.
The union is seeking a hike in minimum fare of Rs2 per stage (currently Rs1.50 to Rs2) and in minimum tariff from Rs16 to Rs18.
“We have sent queries to the RTO under the Right to Information Act, 2005, on the exact number of taxis plying so that we base our calculations on it. But, we have sought a hike in fare by Rs2 and it would push up the fare,” Quadros, added.
The union leader argued that maintenance of taxis has become an expensive affair. “Earlier, most cabs running were Premier Padminis and their maintenance cost was limited. But now, more and more modern and swankier vehicles run as cabs and the cost of maintenance has also gone up. The fares have to be realistic and match these needs,” he said.
He reiterated that there would not be any protest or strike from taxi drivers on this issue. “We will press our demands in a peaceful manner.”
The state government recently decided to open its doors to frozen taxi permits, making way for newer wheels on the road. The permits had been frozen in 1997 to curb the spurt in the number of taxis.
