Police Warn Striking Cabbies Of Action

Nagpur: As the app-based cab drivers continued with their strike, preventing pick-up and drop services at the airport, the police summoned the union leaders and said any complaint of forcefully stopping vehicles can lead to legal action against them. The police, however, have not received any formal complaint so far, said a senior official. "The complaint has to come from other cabbies alleging that they are being forcefully stopped from entering the airport or accepting rides. Passengers too can file complaint. No action can be taken otherwise" said a police source. The drivers on strike are demanding increase in fare rates by aggregators and removal of bike riders from the app. The union claims that bike riders who are not required to follow RTO rules eat away into the cabs' business. The agitators chose airport blockade as a mode of protest, hoping to attract the govt's or the aggregators' attention if the flyers face inconvenience.The strike entered the fourth day on Friday. Drivers claimed they haven't been contacted by representatives of aggregators like Ola or Uber to which they are linked so far, said police sources. The police also arranged a meeting between members of Taxi Chalak Malak Kruti Samiti with district collector Kumar Ashirwad.Deepak Sane of the Kruti Samiti told TOI that the district collector has assured of one more round of meeting. However, Sane said that apart from the govt officials, even representatives of the aggregators need to be present. "The final decision has to be taken by the companies, not govt," he said.Sane said the union members are only requesting the other cabbies to drop the passengers near Pride Hotel instead of driving till the airport terminal. "Those not agreeing are not being stopped. If there are families with children, we are allowing the cabs to proceed," he said. A line of taxis was seen parked along the road opposite the Hotel Pride. "Majority of drivers are supporting the cause and have stopped taking rides till the pick-up and drop point, leaving the customers around a km before the airport terminals. Taxis are no longer waiting for the arriving passengers at the airport parking area. This has totally stopped pick-ups from the airport," Sane said.The passengers are taking pre-paid taxis at the airport or autorickshaws, said airport sources, adding NMC has also increased the frequency of buses to the airport, which are now plying every half an hour.