- Commuters to face hardship as taxi and auto services will remain suspended
Bhopal: The city is set to witness a major disruption in public transport services on July 14, as taxi and auto drivers affiliated with the Taxi Union Kalyan Samiti will stage a protest at Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti Park from 11 AM to 5 PM. In response to the union’s call, over 2,500 taxi drivers and 2,000 auto drivers associated with private service providers such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido are expected to participate in the protest.
As a result, taxi and auto services will remain completely suspended across the city. The demonstration is expected to affect transportation at key locations including Bhopal Railway Station, Rani Kamlapati Station, Sant Hirdaram Nagar Station, the Habibganj area, major bus stands, and Raja Bhoj Airport. Commuters relying on these services may face great inconvenience throughout the day.
Union National Secretary Nafeesuddin said that the protest aims to raise concerns over ongoing neglect and exploitation of taxi drivers across Madhya Pradesh. He emphasized that the protest would be peaceful and that necessary permission has been obtained from police authorities.
Key demands
1. End to illegal collections at railway stations, where drivers are charged Rs 10 per trip without receipts, despite private vehicles getting free short-term parking.
2. Provision of proper parking facilities for traditional taxi drivers at airports and major public pick-up points, which are currently lacking.
3. Action against unauthorized private taxis at airports that allegedly intercept bookings and divert passengers, affecting both driver income and passenger safety.
4. Ban on unlicensed two-wheeler and private taxi services run by app-based companies, which bypass regulatory costs that traditional drivers must bear.
5. Implementation of standard government rates for all taxi services, including Ola and Uber, to ensure fair pricing.
6. Improvement in transport department fitness machines, which frequently reject vehicles due to technical errors, causing losses to drivers.
7. Curbing overcharging for panic button installation, which costs far more than its actual market price and often malfunctions.
8. Provision of a permanent office space for the union to support its operations.
