Taxi strike withdrawn

NASHIK, SEPT 24: The two-day-old strike by taxi operators within Nashik district and from Nashik to other cities was withdrawn today afte...

NASHIK, SEPT 24: The two-day-old strike by taxi operators within Nashik district and from Nashik to other cities was withdrawn today after assurance from the local police that illegal passenger traffic would be curbed.

The cabbies formed the Nashik Zilla Taxi Union Mahasangh, a federation of 19 taxi unions. Sayed Khan Dawood Khan Pathan was unanimously elected its chairperson, while Rambhau Janorkar was elected its vice president.

The taxi operators strike had paralysed services within Nashik district and from Nashik to Mumbai, Pune, Dhule, Kasara and Thane. The cabbies had accused the local police of turning a blind eye to the illegal passenger traffic operated by private jeep, Trax and multi-utility vehicle owners, causing losses to taxi operators.

On February 15 this year, the Nashik-Mumbai-Shirdi taxi operators8217; union had slashed its fares to attract passengers, as the cabbies were losing business to private operators offering the service at lower rates. The cabbies had reduced the fares for passengers travelling from Nashik to Mumbai or vice versa from Rs 215 per head to Rs 150 per head and from Mumbai to Shirdi and back from Rs 625 to Rs 450 per head. The immediate cause of the indefinite strike was a quarrel between Rambhau Janorkar, president of the Nashik-Dindori-Vani Taxi Malak Sanghatana and the local police over illegal passenger traffic on the Nashik-Dindori route. The Panchavati police station has registered an offence against Janorkar for manhandling a constable and obstructing traffic on the Nashik-Dindori road. Janorkar has filed a cross complaint accusing the local police of allowing illegal passenger traffic by private operators.

About 3,000 taxies had gone off the roads from Wednesday, with the cabbies protesting against the 8220;harassment8221; by police and the unchecked illegal passenger traffic. The Nashik-Dindori-Vani Taxi Malak Sanghatana, the Nashik-Kasara-Nashik Taxi Sanghatana, the Nashik-Mumbai-Shirdi Taxi Operators8217; Union, the Nashik Zilla Taxi Malak Sanghatana, the Nashik Road-Devlali Taximens8217; Union, the Girnare Taxi Malak Sanghatana, the Adgaon Taximens8217; Union, the Trimbakeshwar-Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Taxi Union and the Nashik-Ozar-Niphad Taxi Malak Sanghatana have participated in the strike.