Suburbs or SoBo, no one is spared from share taxi/auto menace

Residents in Mumbai are complaining about the nuisance caused by share taxis in the city. They claim that drivers double park their taxis, refuse to pick up individuals in favor of share taxi passengers, and carry extra passengers in the vehicles. Complaints have been made to the traffic police, but residents believe that there is a lack of enforcement and that the authorities are not taking sufficient action. This issue is not limited to the city center, as commuters in the suburbs have also reported similar problems.

Mumbai: Churchgate resident Madhuri Choitram, 65, said that in the past few months, the share taxi menace has reached her residential building. She says drivers double park their taxis outside and keep yelling their destination causing nuisance.

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“When I want to go to a bank or to Colaba market, the taxis straight up refuse. They just want share taxi passengers,” said Choitram.

“Sometimes, their fare per seat also varies from passenger to passenger. They carry extra passengers, sometimes seven in one cab. This is dangerous,” she added.

Choitram said she steps out three times a day for routine work and regularly informs the traffic police about the menace of share taxis.

“I will not let this menace come to our Sunder Mahal building. They can operate from their dedicated stand but not on the road blocking two lanes and creating nuisance near our building. Last time when I pointed out to them that they are ferrying extra passengers, they spoke to me rudely” said Choitram.

Advocate Trivankumar Karnani, founder, Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF), said they have received many complaints from citizens on the share taxi issue from Churchgate.

“There is a criminal nexus between the traffic police division, the RTO (Regional Transport Office) officials and the share taxis. Furthermore, there is a lack of enforcement. Time and again some action is taken which is basically an eyewash to create an illusion that authorities are taking action, but the situation remains the same,” said Karnani.

“Despite action being taken if the issue is persisting across the city, then it clearly means the authorities are hand in glove with the taxi and auto drivers and these actions are just an eyewash,” added Karnani.

The situation is not different in the suburbs. Commuters said at Ghatkopar, the biggest hurdle faced by commuters is when they have to go to R City mall from the railway station. The auto drivers do not go by meter and stand at the exit of the platform to lure more passengers.

Sandesh, a resident of Ghatkopar said, “The biggest problem at Ghatkopar railway station west is that the auto drivers block the entry/exit to the bridge, which connects to railway station as well as the metro station. These drivers block the whole patch and use foul language, making it totally unsafe for women.”

“They park in three lanes just outside the station, I have even seen ambulances getting blocked here due to traffic jams but none of the authorities have tried to control the menace created by these share auto drivers here,” added Sandesh.