Auto drivers, cabbies rue loss of income as commuters cheer new Metro lines 2A, 7

With commuters, who travel across the western and eastern sub-urban localities, now opting for the metro, rickshaw and cab drivers are fretting over their reduced earnings.

The new metro line, unveiled on January 19 by PM Narendra Modi, has reduced travel time between Dahisar and Andheri by about 75 minutes. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Written by: Aditya Poonia

4 min readMumbaiJan 24, 2023 03:49 AM IST First published on: Jan 24, 2023 at 03:49 AM IST

THE MUMBAI Metro Line 2A and 7 that opened to the public on January 20 may have received a warm welcome from Mumbaikars, but has made auto-rickshaw and cab drivers an unhappy lot. With commuters, who travel across the western and eastern sub-urban localities, now opting for the metro, rickshaw and cab drivers are fretting over their reduced earnings.

The new metro line, unveiled on January 19 by PM Narendra Modi, has reduced travel time between Dahisar and Andheri by about 75 minutes, and much to the relief of Mumbaikars, has helped decongest the Western Express Highway and SV Road.

Fretting over their reduced earnings, many autorickshaw and cab drivers say they might look for an alternate job with commuters now opting for the new Metro lines. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

The roads at the connecting junctions of 2a, 7 line and Mumbai Metro 1 ( the old metro ) are almost empty unlike other days where there used to be always traffic issues. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Yellapa Dhutre, a 33-year-old rickshaw driver, said, “I used to get customers for longer routes from Gundavali to Kandivali and Borivali. Now, in just three days of metro services, my earnings have declined 50 per cent. Earlier by 2 pm I used earn upto Rs 600, but now I am getting only Rs 300.” Dhutre is a resident of Borivali. Rahul Singh, a 28-year-old rickshaw driver from Aarey Colony, said he has begun looking for an alternate job.