With the 25-year-old cabs off the city streets, the largest taxi union here has asked the state administration to consider any relief that can be granted to taxi owners or drivers aggrieved by the government’s move to phase out old the black-and-yellows vehicles.The Bombay High Court asked the government to set up a committee under the chairmanship of principal secretary (Home Department) and directed that it should submit the report by January 8, 2009. According to the letter written to the committee’s chairman, the Mumbai Taximen’s Union has stated that since majority of the taxi operators belong to the “weaker” section of the society, there is an urgent need of a financial package/relief for purchasing new vehicles. “The taxi operators will replace their existing vehicles by newer ones — but we expect the state government to provide a relief package, as it was done for the meter taxi operators in New Delhi,” said A L Quadros, union’s general secretary.The union is seeking financial relief in the form of complete exemption from the payment of excise duty, octroi, VAT and toll tax on the purchase new vehicles in place of the rickety ones, the letter stated. In addition to this, the union would like the government to also consider soft loans for the drivers to purchase new vehicle. “The government should make bank finance up to Rs two lakh per taxi available at a cheaper rate of interest of 4 per cent per annum, and the amount above Rs two lakh at 6 per cent per annum with the repayment period of five years,” Quadros added. The union also wants the committee to consider that the banks should accept the personal guarantee for the permit holder and no additional collateral security should be insisted. The union also insists on free movement of meter taxis within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “If this is allowed, the passengers would get cheaper transport and would also reduce traffic congestion in the city,” Quadros said.
