1.05 lakh autos to stay off roads today in Mumbai

Union demanding ban on taxi aggregators to go ahead with strike.

Commuters mainly from the suburbs are likely to face inconvenience from August 31 (Wednesday) onwards because the Mumbai Autorickshaw and Taximen Union (MATU) — with over one lakh autorickshaw drivers under its fold — will go on an indefinite strike.

MATU, in fact, is the strongest union in terms of just numbers. At least, 1.05 lakh autos are under it. These vehicles being off the roads will affect office-goers in the morning. The union has a strong presence in areas such as Kandivali, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan, from where most of the workforce commutes to South Mumbai. Speaking about the decision to take the strike forward, Shashank Rao, who heads MATU, said that the recent meeting with state transport commissioner Praveen Gedam had not been very fruitful.

“We had announced that we will go on the strike on August 31 and we are still going ahead with it as planned. Unless there are some tangible results, and not just empty promises, we are not going to take back the strike,” Mr Rao said.

Two other unions — Jai Bhagwan Rickshaw and Taxi Sanghatna (JBTRS) and Swabhiman Sanghathna — had withdrawn their strike called for August 29 after talks with the transport commissioner, but MATU has stuck to its guns. “The demand for a ban on Ola and Uber and other demands for provident fund and health insurance are not something we have suddenly informed the state about. They were made aware more than a year ago,” Mr Rao said.

When asked over SMS if he had been able to dissuade MATU from going on the strike, the transport commissioner replied: ‘As of now, no breakthrough. You will come to know, if any.’

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) will be running extra buses in the suburbs according to the prevalent need Wednesday morning. The transport department also sent out a press note late Tuesday evening officially recognising the union’s strike.