Maharashtra government to bring cab aggregators under City Taxi norms

Mumbai: The State Government intends to bring private taxis under City Taxi norms and they will mandatorily use CNG as fuel so as to reduce pollution, said Minister for Public Transport Diwakar Raote in the Legislative Council. He said this while replying to supplementary queries on a calling attention notice moved by Anand Thakur (NCP) and others about the arrogant attitude of autorickshaw and taxi drivers in Mumbai, who refuse fares or charge exorbitant fares.

Giving replies to supplementary queries demanding action against arrogant auto and taxi drivers, the Minister said that the government will make it mandatory for auto and taxi drivers to install stickers displaying toll-free complaint numbers 1800220110 and 62426666 in their vehicles whereby passengers can lodge their complaints against errant behaviour.

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Replying to supplementary queries on illegal private autos plying in rural Maharashtra, Raote said that the transport department has seized 4 lakh illegal autos. He added that to safeguard their livelihood, owners have been given a chance to pay fines by  March-end. Replying to further queries on arrogance displayed by autos and taxis, the department will consider deploying Home Guards at auto and taxi stands to curb their arrogant attitude in refusing fares.

Interestingly enough, members, cutting across party lines, narrated their woes to the chair as to how auto and taxi drivers had refused to ply them to their destination. Anand Thakur (NCP) narrated how a taxi driver near MLA Hostel refused to take him to CSMT, while Vidya Chavan (NCP) narrated how several autos had refused to take her to Vile Parle from Jogeshwari and how after she forced an auto to take her to Jogeshwari railway station, the driver began driving rashly. Prakash Gajbhiye (NCP) demanded a separate pre-paid taxi booth for legislators at CSMT.