The auto rickshaw drivers are troubled by their own fraternity. The unruly auto drivers who don't follow rules are plying outside Mumbai's International Airport terminal.
The drivers complain that these unruly drivers don't ferry legit passengers who are in the queue and take up those with luggage. The unions claim that either they demand bulk fare or their e-meters are rigged.
For instance, on May 31, the auto rickshaw unions claimed that passengers standing in the queue were bothered by these unruly drivers who refused to ply. "We were standing in the queue like other passengers. When we boarded the auto rickshaw, the driver asked us to get down and said that he wouldn't ply and asked us to take the next rickshaw behind. When we asked for a reason, he refused to give one and chided us not to bother him," said a senior citizen couple who didn't want to be named and were present at Mumbai international airport.
The auto unions state that for the last few weeks there have been these complaints from passengers and regular drivers alike. The unruly drivers allegedly give a reason that they have tied up with the passengers having luggage.
"There are private security guards to man the queue yet this problem persists. These rogue drivers don't allow regular drivers to pick fares despite standing in a queue and arguing with them," said Guddu Singh, an auto rickshaw union leader at Mumbai Airport.
When this reporter went to the airport to check, the auto drivers were indeed doing pick and choose of passengers. The queue of the auto rickshaws is long and security guards monitoring them even knew the names of the drivers standing there. There is another lane next to the auto rickshaw queue where other rickshaw drivers pick up passengers arbitrarily.
The unruly drivers ask the passengers who are without luggage, to take the shared rickshaw which also has a stand ahead. Some other regular auto drivers complained that these unruly drivers fix up a certain amount depending on the distance rather than going by the meter. The average wait time for the drivers is 30-45 minutes. Moreover, these auto drivers don't even wear uniforms. They also charge for the luggage and strike a deal with passengers.
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