“Today, we face competition from call-centre vehicles, mini-buses and private aggregators like Uber and Ola, who are eating into our revenue. This is the foremost challenge for every autorickshaw or taxi driver in the city,” says auto union leader Shashank Rao.
Mumbai’s auto union leader, Shashank Rao, who took over the control of the largest union of autorickshaws from his father, Sharad Rao, spoke to The Free Press Journal’s Iram Siddique and stressed on the government’s role in improving the lot of autorickshaw drivers in the city. In the wake of the strike called by Rao to get the union’s demands met, he shed light on the transportation situation in the city and the role of the union in improving the conditions.
What are the major challenges faced by autorickshaw and taxi drivers in the city?
Ans: We have been always regulated by the government, but now we face new challenges where the government is deliberately trying to finish off our trade and get in other private players. These new players do not have any legal sanction. Today, we face competition from call-centre vehicles, mini-buses and private aggregators like Uber and Ola, who are eating into our revenue. This is the foremost challenge for every autorickshaw or taxi driver in the city.
What makes you say that the government is sabotaging your business?
Ans: The government seems to lack the will to take action against these private operators. Government officials are the ones who can take control of the situation, but instead they are encouraging the private vehicles, which will do no good to the auto and taxi operators in the city. In some cases, they even go ahead and support these people as in the case of private aggregators like Uber and Ola. The government has gone to the extent of legalising the private operators when, at the same time, the Delhi High Court has banned them. Across the world the services of such aggregators are banned, but our government, especially the Maharashtra state government, is trying to shield these people.
Are Mumbaikars turning to these aggregators since cab and auto drivers fail to fulfill their needs?
Ans: This is not actually the reason. We need to understand that the auto drivers and the taxi drivers in the city are regulated by the government. Had the auto and taxi drivers been told that they can put a vehicle with a permit and have as many as they want, then there would not have been a shortage and no refusals. The point we are debating is that while you have control over us, you have also imposed regulations. At the same time, there is a dual faith and there is no regulation over other vehicles. The government is not acting on putting any control on mini-buses. Even today, when the government is looking at regularising Ola and Uber, then why not give the same opportunity to auto and taxi drivers first? The government can simply tell the auto drivers that there is no permit required and they can run vehicles by merely applying for it.
Mumbai has witnessed two consecutive strikes in less than a week. Do you think resorting to strikes and holding the city at ransom is the only option left to get your demands heard?
Ans: Sometimes, yes, it is the only way out. We tried our level best and held a peaceful dharna, where no one was inconvenienced. We held parlance with the government, wherein no one was inconvenienced, but the government did not hear us. Nobody tried to sort out the matter and we had to turn to our last resort, which was going on a strike.
You recently had a meeting with the transport commissioner. Do you think the problems will be resolved and the union will be finally heard?
Ans: The new transport commissioner is very practical, positive and we are extremely hopeful that issues will be resolved. But the problem is not with the commissioner, but the transport minister himself. We are looking at how much the government allows her to work and act on her own. If they let her work according to her will and let her do things that need to be done, then the situation will change for the better. The attitude of the transport minister is a major problem. The statements that he had been making and the way he handles situations is the biggest problem. If there is a positive attitude, then you know things will change for the better, but if the approach is negative, then one cannot expect the situation to improve.
What do you have to say about the government’s decision of scrapping the one-man Hakim Committee?
Ans: It was wrong on the part of the state government to scrap the Hakim Committee as it was just formulated two and a half years ago. It could have still been relevant for the next 10 years. There has been no change in the circumstances which made it necessary for the state government to change the committee. Even if the government had any plans of scrapping the committee, they should have consulted all the stake holders, like the unions, and taken them into confidence about the need to change the committee. But, instead, it was a unilateral decision of the government, which is not acceptable to us. They should have held discussions and addressed doubts, instead of taking the decision arbitrarily. The committee report was hard-earned and the formula not only focused on fare-revising but a lot of emphasis was also laid on improving the trade of the autorickshaw and taxi drivers.
