Cabbies battle against Brahmins8217; on roads

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 5: The slugfest between the Mumbai Taximen's Union and car-users over the former's demand to ban entry of private cars ...

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 5: The slugfest between the Mumbai Taximen8217;s Union and car-users over the former8217;s demand to ban entry of private cars into the city has taken a turn for the worse, with taximen calling private cars 8220;Brahmins8221; and car-users accusing cabbies of seeking to rescue their own free-falling trade by voicing such demands.

8220;Private cars are the Brahmins of Mumbai,8221; said AL Quadros, general secretary of the taximen8217;s union. 8220;These privileged few are blocking the usage of public roads for their own personal use and causing more congestion and pollution in the city.8221;

Car-users are unimpressed. 8220;Can 55,000 taxis meet the demand of 9 lakh motor car owners, if they are suddenly stopped from entering the city? Do you expect the car owner who goes in air-conditioned comfort to suddenly start hanging from trains and buses?8221; asks Western India Automobile Association WIAA President Nitin Dossa. Besides, most of these taxis were polluting and in bad shape, he said.

The taxi union had raised thisdemand in two recent meetings, the first with Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA on August 30 and then at a meeting of Traffic Advisory Committee headed by traffic police commissioner on August 31.

However, the demand is not a new one, having been first suggested over two years ago by the high-powered traffic advisory committee headed by Pramod Navalkar. At a recent meeting, Transport Commissioner Vinay Mohan Lal said the government was still to decide on the proposal.

However, the latest demands by taximen appear to be a move to apply brakes on the falling taxi trade. Though the number of taxis has been frozen at 55,000 earlier this year and the issuance of fresh permits stopped, the number of taxis is way above demand. This coupled with high fares have led to a decline in their business, and one of the reasons why taximen have not gone in for a fare hike despite corresponding hikes in petrol and diesel cost this year.

The taxi union has also demanded that taxis be allowed to plybeyond the limits of Mumbai city. 8220;We should be allowed to move into Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Mumbra, Karjat and Patalganga,8221; says Quadros. Taxis are presently allowed only up to Bhayander and Thane city. Quadros has also asked for increase in number of taxi stands to prevent them from cruising and looking for passengers. 8220;Cruising is great fuel wastage and increases congestion,8221; he said.

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In a bid to mollify private car users, the union has offered to start 600 more A/C cool cabs. But saying any such moves to ban private cars will be vociferously opposed, the WIAA says the real alternatives are yet to be explored. These include A/C trains, hovercraft and metro rail.