Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Taxi Union Kalyan Samiti handed over memorandum to the RTO in Bhopal demanding its intervention against cab companies. There are around 10k taxis in Bhopal. They said that panic buttons which cost only Rs 5k are being installed at RTO authorised places for around Rs 13k.
Bhopal district president of Taxi union Ajaj Ali said, ‘Cab companies are charging upto 35% of fare so we are getting hardly 60% to 65%. Secondly, it is mandatory to install panic button in vehicles. Its price is hardly Rs 5k but it is available to us at Rs 13k- Rs14k. Ola-Uber and similar companies are charging 28-30 per cent commission arbitrarily. Due to this, the cost is Rs 12-15 per kilometre. According to government rate, the cab driver should get Rs 20 per kilometre from these companies.’
He further said, ‘The RTO has assured us that soon it will organise a meeting with the employees of cab companies regarding their problems, so that those can be resolved. Regarding the panic button, we told them that it is mandatory to install it.’
Demands include
* Drivers of companies which are running without a licence should be banned
* Private bike taxis, Job Rapido and Ola are running. They should be banned because they do not have a taxi permit, neither fitness nor licence
* The company does not support in case customers misbehave. For this, guidelines should be made for the company
* Many private vehicles are being used as taxis in Bhopal. Action should be taken against them
* Ban on Ola and Uber taxis being run through travel agencies
