Autorickshaw union leaders have reacted sharply to the government proposal of phasing out autos from the city within the next seven years. While the Mumbai Autorickshaw-Taximen’s Union has called it a conspiracy by some big automobile companies; the Rickshaw Chalak-Malak Sena has said the decision would take away the livelihood of thousands of autorickshaw drivers.
An enraged Sharad Rao, president of the Mumbai Autorickshaw-Taximen’s Union declared that such ‘secretary level’ proposals always came with malicious intent. “This proposal has to be condemned. If the government is planning to replace autos by four-wheelers, they will be holding the city traffic to ransom,” Rao told DNA.
Tambi Kurien, working president for Rao’s union, said the suburbs would witness chaos if autorickshaws vanish. “A traveller in the suburbs reaches a local railway station in an auto within 20 minutes. This travel time will definitely double if the auto is replaced by a four-wheeler. The residential suburbs depend heavily on autorickshaws. How can the common Mumbaikar afford taxis instead of autos?” Kurien asked.
Anil Parab, working president of Rickshaw Chalak-Malak Sena (which is a wing of the Shiv Sena), said the proposal showed how much the present government cared for the Aam Aadmi. “The livelihoods of over one lakh rickshaw drivers will be compromised. If the government is talking of replacing autorickshaws by cabs, they must have taken a supari from a big automobile company. Our union will fight against this proposal,” Parab said.
