JANUARY 19: The proposal by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to allow rickshaws and taxis to ply between Mumbai and Thane has evoked strong reactions from the unions in the metropolis.Those who seem most aggrieved by the proposal are the rickshaw unions who feel the move will cut into their earnings. `` Our union will not allow rickshaws and taxis from Thane to ply in Mumbai,'' declared Shankar Salvi, General Secretary of the Mumbai Autorickshawmen's Union.He argued that with more than 1.6 lakh rickshaws in Mumbai, business has already been going down. We will be doomed if more rickshaws are allowed to ply here,'' he said.However the taxis and rickshaw unions in Thane are not averse to the idea. General Secretary of the Viju Natekar Rickshaw Taxi Union, Bhai Tilve is anxious for the plan to be finalised. He said, ``At present we are only being allowed to ply up to Dahisar. Why have restrictions as though we are on the Indo-Pak border.If we are allowed to enter Mumbai, it will be so convenient for thousands of passengers.'' ``We only have 35,000 rickshaws and 100 taxis,'' pointed out Tilve who said the move would prevent overcharging by rickshawallahs and taximen in case the raiways or BEST went on strike.The taxi unions in the city like the rickshaw union counterparts are opposed to the move. Secretary of the Mahanagar Taxi Union Meraj Siddiqui and Mushtaq al Quraysh of the City Taximen Union said they would oppose any such move.Toll-charges and hassles at the check-nakas are being cited as reasons for opposing the move.``If these charges are imposed, it will not be economically viable to the taximen,'' said Quraysh.But he confessed that the step would be beneficial to passengers.All these are however anticipatory reactions. As RTO (Central) Alvi said, ``They are uneccessarily making a hue and cry even before it has been finalised. It is still in the intermediary stages.'' Alvi added that though the decision had been taken it could not be implemented because of problems within the Regional Transport Authority.
