Cab, auto strike disrupts Mumbai commute; airport-bound passengers, long-distance travellers hit hardest

Airport-bound passengers were among the worst affected, with several commuters reporting prolonged waits and uncertainty.

Madhav Ja (35), who works in the shipping industry, said he was unaware of the strike and spent nearly half an hour trying to book a cab from Andheri East railway station to Terminal 2. “I tried booking for almost 30 minutes and even increased the fare on Rapido, thinking drivers might accept it, but nothing worked. I am going to take a regular rickshaw so I wouldn’t miss my flight,” he said.

Vineeth Nambiyar (38), a business owner travelling from Andheri West to Terminal 2 to catch a Chennai-bound flight, said he first attempted to hire a meter rickshaw but was turned down. “I then tried Uber and Rapido, but for the past 20 minutes the apps have only shown ‘searching for drivers nearby’. I’m heading to Terminal 2, and the uncertainty is stressful,” he said.

Several commuters said the disruption was particularly severe for longer inter-suburban journeys. Mukesh Kumar (28), travelling from Andheri East to Powai, said app-based services are usually his preferred option for such routes due to lower fares. “I normally use Uber or Rapido for longer rides because it’s cheaper. I usually pay between ₹150 and ₹180 for this route, while a meter rickshaw costs ₹220 to ₹250. Today, the app fare itself was showing around ₹220, which is unusual. Since the prices were almost the same, I decided to take a rickshaw,” he said.

The strike was called by driver unions protesting against the continued operation of illegal bike taxi services and what they described as arbitrary fare policies followed by app-based aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido. Unions also accused the Transport Department of failing to enforce government-approved regulations despite issuing repeated directives.

Wasim Khan, an auto-rickshaw driver from Goregaon, said drivers were compelled to strike due to the lack of action against illegal operations. “We are protesting because white number plate bike taxis are still operating despite being illegal. Aggregator companies must stop bike taxi services and ensure that fares are regulated and made fair for both drivers and passengers,” he said.

Explaining the drivers’ position, Dr Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, president of the Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha and the Indian Gig Workers Forum, said the protest was the result of prolonged regulatory inaction. “We understand that commuters are affected, especially on longer routes where app-based fares are usually cheaper and more efficient. But drivers are being pushed into an economically unsustainable system,” he said.

“Fare structures do not reflect rising fuel, maintenance and permit costs, while aggregator commissions remain high. At the same time, illegal bike taxi services continue to operate without safety norms, insurance or accountability, putting both drivers and passengers at risk. Despite repeated written directives issued by the Transport Department to aggregators, there has been no meaningful enforcement on the ground,” Kshirsagar added.

He also flagged financial pressure caused by panic button compliance norms, noting that although 140 panic button device providers are approved by the Central government, nearly 70 per cent have been declared unauthorised by the state. “Drivers who had already installed approved devices are now being forced to replace them at a cost of around ₹12,000. For daily wage earners, this is a severe financial burden,” he said.

With app-based services limited throughout the day, commuters were forced to rely on meter auto-rickshaws, often at higher costs for longer journeys. There was no immediate response from Ola, Uber or Rapido.