Mumbai airport taxi strike

Mumbai airport taxi drivers strike enters second day

Mumbai: The protest of nearly 3,000 taxies, who carry passengers to and from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, entered the second day on Sunday. The taxi drivers are protesting against the ban on the parking of taxis in the airport premises and imposition of new queue system. The drivers complain that they have to wait for long till the passengers come out of the airport. But the new system allows the private, Meru cabs, to drive in to the airport premises when the passengers call them by phone, taxi drivers said. "The administration is promoting privately owned quick taxies they are parked here, it is illegal. We were given assurance that the taxies would be taken out from here but they still remain," said Taufeeq Shaikh, President of Airport Taxi Association. The taxi drivers, who are off the roads for the past two days lament the administration for being soft on them and say that they would continue their strike until entry of private cabs are totally restricted. The taxi drivers allege administration of favoring private cabs and want the entry of private taxis be completely restricted. "We know that passengers are facing problem but the administration is siding with the private companies and it is affecting our daily earnings unless they are not moved from here we will continue our strike completely," said Dinesh, a taxi driver. The drivers also threatened that though the strike now restricted to some places, would be spread to the other parts in case administration did not deed to their demands.
-July 26, 2009

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