Quit airport area or face action: Cops warn striking taxi drivers

Nagpur: Police on Monday issued an ultimatum to striking app-based drivers to leave the airport as the protest preventing drop and pick-up at the premises entered sixth day. The airport is a security zone where demonstrations cannot be staged, cops told the cabbies in a formal notice while stating that the protest can be held elsewhere with due permissions.The police also told the drivers that the district collector, Kumar Ashirwad, has assured to arrange a meeting through video-conferencing with the management of cab aggregator companies like Ola and Uber in a day or two. Cops also said Mihan India Limited (MIL), the airport operator, has lodged a formal complaint. The striking cabbies are yet to take a decision. The cab drivers are seeking higher fare from the aggregators and removal of app-based bike taxis. By protesting at the airport, they hope to attract attention of the authorities. However, they have not been contacted by the aggregator companies yet, said sources.With the strike leaving hundreds of passengers harried, MIL wrote to the Sonegaon police station seeking intervention. MIL also sent a number of video grabs of flyers speaking of the inconvenience faced by them. Later, Sonegaon police officials met leaders of the Taxi Chalak Malak Kruti Samit, the union that is leading the strike.The security inside the terminals is handled by CISF, while the police is responsible for rest of the area. Sonegaon police inspector Nitin Magar told TOI that the striking cabbies have been asked to leave the airport limits, which extends up to Hotel Pride Square. "Action would be taken if they don't move within reasonable time, and a formal notice has been handed over to them," said Magar. The union leaders told TOI that they have not withdrawn their strike, but cabs carrying passengers are not being prevented from entering the airport after the first day. Instead of the entrance, the union has been picketing at the parking lot. Any driver coming to pick up a customer is being requested to go back.Most of the drivers are obliging, said a union leader. "Even the number of drivers accepting ride for airport drop has come down," said Deepak Sane, another union leader.Meanwhile, passengers continued to bear the brunt of the agitation. "I booked a cab, however, the driver who came till the arrival terminal refused to take me citing the strike," said a passenger who arrived from Hyderabad. Another passenger could manage to book an autorickshaw through an app, but the driver asked him to walk towards the exit to take the ride. A few passengers were seen clueless as the fares of other modes were also exorbitantly high, they said.