A major gas pipeline damage has disrupted CNG supply in Mumbai, leading to long queues at refuelling stations and affecting autorickshaws, taxis, and other CNG-run vehicles. The disruption is expected to impact transport availability throughout the day.
According to Bombay Taximen Union President A L Quadros, as part of modernisation procedure, the Mumbai International Airport Ltd wanted the taximen to move to a new plot near the Sahar police station, but are not giving written assurances as to whether it is a permanent or temporary arrangement.
The Maharashtra government has agreed to raise basic taxi fares in Mumbai by Rs 2 from the existing Rs 14.
Approximately 25 youths, suspected to be MNS members, attacked the office of the Mumbai Taximen's Union in Central Mumbai on Thursday morning. MNS workers have been targeting taxi drivers since the past few days, but the police are yet to confirm the perpetrators of today's attack. Union president A I Qadros had earlier said that the taxi drivers would go on strike if they were not compensated for the attacks.
The police have detained seven persons on charges of rioting following the incident.
The strike has been called by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, the transport wing of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which claims that several drivers of these cabs are not able to cover costs due to the falling business.
Union officials said with increasing possibility of further extension of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, several auto and taxi drivers are going to their native places in their black and yellow coloured auto rickshaws and taxis.
Following an assurance from the state government that their grievances would be looked into, the strike -- which was to begin on Tuesday -- has been pushed back.
The strike is expected to be observed in key cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune among other cities.
Rao was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2014.
The strike has received complete support across the city and approximately 55,000 taxis and 1.5 lakh rickshaws stayed off the roads on Thursday, union leader Sharad Rao told PTI. The union said the phasing out of the existing taxis, a majority of which are of the Premier Padmini make, was wrong since the emission norms prescribed were being met by the vehicles.
Withdrawing the strike call given last week, the Bombay Taximen Union Taxis has said that taxis will ply on Mumbai roads on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The Maharashtra government's decision to phase out the old ubiquitous black and yellow premier padmini taxis that are more than 25 year old in the country's financial capital has given automobile companies, which are facing declining sales due to the economic slowdown, a reason to smile.
Bombay Taximen Union Secretary A L Quadros alleged that Tuesday's strike is a "government-sponsored" strike called by a non-government organisation Swabhiman run by state Revenue Minister Narayan Rane's son Nitesh.
Taxi and autorickshaw drivers under Jai Bhagwan Taxi Rickshaw Sanghatana have announced they would go on indefinite strike from August 29 in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.
The day-long statewide strike called by the Mumbai Autorickshaw-Taximen's Union, the largest auto union in the city, began from midnight demanding ouster of call centre-operated Uber and Ola cabs besides revocation of Maharashtra government's decision to scrap the Hakim panel on auto and taxi fares.
Barring stray incidents of violence like stone pelting, the shutdown called by the MVA allies Shiv Sena, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party was largely peaceful.
The opposition has been critical of the Centre's handling of the situation, accusing it of not doing enough to ease the hardships of the migrant workers, many of whom have lost their jobs during the lockdown which started on March 25.
Ten trade unions with a combined membership of 15 crore workers in public and private sector, including banks and insurance companies, are on a nationwide strike to protest against changes in the labour laws.
'George was a politician with a difference. He had the ability to stand alone, take a position, however extreme, and sustain that position,' remembers Arun Jaitley.
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