Cabs may strike tomorrow

The nearly 10,000 taxis which operate on CNG in Mumbai buy around 35,000 kg of the fuel from the retail outlets everyday. Quadros claimed that these taxis have been off the roads since the price hike because of economic unviability. 8220;These taxis, due to the fact that they have been converted to CNG too, consume more petrol than normal petrol-driven vehicles,8221; he said.

The union claims that the strike is justa token one, but added that they would not hesitate to intensify the agitation if the government did not respond positively. 8220;We are just supporting the cause of our 10,000 colleagues who face starvation due to the strike,8221; said Quadros.

The increase in price of CNG also threatens to put on hold the plan of the unions to convert all petrol driven taxis into CNG-fuelled ones. During a meeting last month between the state environment secretary Satish Tripathi and the union, it had been decided that nearly 18,000 more taxis which run on petrol would undergo the Rs 38,000 conversion to CNG.

The government, on its part, had promised to open four refilling stations in the city and one depot near Bandra-Kurla Complex within six months. 8220;The present state of affairs have forced us to rethink our options on that front,8221; admitted Quadros.