Autos go off the road in Thane

THANE: Auto rickshaws stayed off the road in Thane on Wednesday morning causing inconvenience to thousands of residents and office-goers who were compelled to trek down to the railway station or force into the TMT buses which were brimming to capacity.
The auto rickshaw strike is believed to be a pressure tactic on the transport authorities to give in to the demands of a union led by local RPI leader Jitendra Indise who is on an indefinite hunger strike since Tuesday.The union had also demanded speedy issuance of new auto rickshaw permits.
Indise has also asked the RTO authorities to clamp down on the private bus operators who illegally ferry commuters from the railway station to their destination at Ghodbunder Road.
The decision to go off the road appears to be a well-planned move to invite the attention of the authorities to their demands.
For the common man, however, the day began with frustrating long walk or standing on the foot board of the TMT bus to reach the Thane railway station.