Pawar play: Autos to be on roads today
Autorickshaw drivers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have called off their proposed agitation on September 13 after deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s intervened.
This comes as relief to Mumbaikars, since they would have faced massive inconvenience if a large number of autorickshaws were to stay off the roads. Auto unions are demanding the immediate implementation of the findings of the government-appointed P.M.A. Hakim Committee report that had suggested a hike in the auto fare.
“We met Mr Pawar, who appealed to us to not protest, as it would have inconvenienced people who are gearing up for the ensuing Ganeshotsav. We then met transport commissioner, who assured us that the implementation procedure would be speeded up. We then decided to call off the agitation, but expect that the recommendations of the report are implemented soon,” said Shashank Rao, of the Mumbai Autorickshawmen’s Union.
The Hakim Committee has recommended an increase in the base fare in the city to `15 for 1.6 kilometres, up from the current `12 for 1.5 kilometres. The fare for the subsequent kilometre has been recommended to be hiked to `10.15 from the current `7.
The transport commissioner will give his opinions on the report and will submit it to the transport ministry, who will then decide on whether to grant the fare hike or not.
Around 3 lakh autorickshaws were supposed to stage a morcha at the transport commissioner’s office in Bandra and at their respective RTO offices in the MMR region.
In the past too, autorickshaw drivers have resorted to arm-twisting tactics to get a fare hike. The unions, however, do not call the protests as “strike” fearing actions under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act.
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