Tepid response to auto,taxi boycott call

“Business was as usual for me today. In fact,my first fare of the day was to the airport and I earned Rs 126 in a single ride. People need us just as much as we need them,” an auto-rickshaw driver from Bandra said.

Kandivali-based Acharya Atre Katta had called for a day-long boycott of auto-rickshaws and taxis on October 31 to protest against the recent fare hike and poor service. Consumer groups such as Mumbai Grahak Panchayat,which is fighting a legal battle in the Bombay High Court against the fare hike suggested by the Hakim committee,had extended support to the protest.

The Mumbai Autorickshawmen’s Union and the Mumbai Taximen’s Union termed the protest “a flop”. “It had no impact. The commuters had nothing to do with it as taxi and auto-rickshaw services are their daily need,” said Anthony Quadros of the Mumbai Taximen’s Union.

Rajesh Gadhe of Acharya Atre Katta,however,claimed the protest was successful. “The point was to create awareness. I think we have been successful in that sense. We held a silent protest at Borivali station and people asked us about the issue. It’s difficult to organise a city-wide protest with limited resources,” he said.