Cabbies walk from Pune to Mumbai, alleging illegal operations by app-based firms

In a unique protest three cab drivers walked nearly 150 kilometres from Pune to Mumbai to highlight the plight of appbased cab drivers and their grievances Affiliated with the Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha the trio said they were upset with the ldquoinjusticerdquo meted out to them by appbased taxi companiesStarting from Pune on April 10 the three walked to Mumbai with four halts and reached the city border on Wednesday morning The drivers identified as Parmeshwar Ghonge Santosh Durge and Vaibhav Bhegde all in their 40s crossed Andheri and reached near the international airport in the evening They are scheduled to reach Mumbais Azad Maidan on Thursday to submit a petition to the authoritiesWhat is the protest aboutThe protest has been undertaken to draw the administrationrsquos attention to the claim that appbased companies are operating illegally across the state leading to widespread dissatisfaction among driversArbitrary rates Drivers alleged that appbased companies are displaying arbitrary fares ignoring Transport Department orders and continuing biketaxi services in cities like Mumbai and Nagpur despite FIRs and lack of valid licences causing discontent among drivers and passengersFees from drivers They also raised concerns over repeated deductions from drivers under the guise of ldquopanic buttonrdquo charges lack of transparency in commissions and noncompliance with governmentapproved ratesGovernmentnotified rates In Maharashtra Mumbai Metropolitan Region appbased cabs such as Ola Uber and Rapido are required to follow governmentnotified fare structures aimed at balancing passenger affordability and driver earnings However companies have reportedly been ignoring these norms citing surge pricing and other factorsTrade union supportDr Keshav Nana Kshirsagar president of Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha said the march has been called a ldquopadayatra for justicerdquo He said the protest aims to highlight the injustice faced by cab drivers and the arbitrary practices of appbased companiesldquoThese cab drivers will reach Azad Maidan in Mumbai on April 15 at 4 pm after which they will meet transport officials and submit their representationrdquo he saidOfficialsrsquo responseA transport official said ldquoWe have repeatedly asked companies to follow government rates on their applications Companies are blaming each other for not complying with orders We are continuously following up on the issuerdquoVoices from the protestSantosh Durge cab driver from Pune says ldquoOur legs ached and the sun drained us out But the fight must go on Government rates are not reflected in the apps leading to conflicts between drivers and commuters App companies are not following norms and we are bearing the brunt Bike taxis are also operating illegally and have dented our businessrdquoParmeshwar Ghonge a cab driver from Pune says ldquoWe fell ill on the way and faced several medical issues but our determination kept us going We received timely medical support We plan to submit our petition to the transport minister and the chief minister It is unfair that despite government notifications rules are not being followedrdquoVaibhav Bhegde cab driver from Pune says ldquoWe suffered blisters and injuries due to the long walk but our determination remained strong We represent the appbased cab community and this protest is to draw government attention Many drivers and supporters joined us along the wayrdquoRoute and detailsRoute taken Pune RTO Talegaon Khopoli Panvel Kamothe Sanpada Vashi Andheri Airport Azad MaidanTotal distance 150 km