Pune: Auto-rickshaw unions in Pune have reacted sharply to the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction)’s announcement of free travel on Pune Metro and PMPML buses, calling the proposal a threat to their livelihoods ahead of the civic elections.
Union leaders said free public transport would directly affect auto-rickshaw drivers, especially those dependent on short-distance and last-mile trips, which form the bulk of their daily earnings. They alleged that the announcement was made without consulting auto unions or representatives of gig and informal workers.
Keshav Kshirsagar, president of the Baghtoy Rikshawala auto union and the Indian Gig Workers Front, criticised the move, saying the government had once again ignored the concerns of gig workers. “Auto drivers survive on daily income. If metro and PMPML services are made free, passengers will naturally avoid autos for short trips. This will hit our earnings directly,” he said.