Kolkata immobilised again by flash taxi strike

City dwellers had a tough time today with around 30,000 taxis going for a flash strike, the fifth in a month, while unions threatened another strike on September 3 if their demand for a fare hike was not met. "The government is not paying heed to our demands. Today we met the Transport Joint Secretary with our demands, but he did not promise us anything. We have given him three days' time and if there is no headway we would go on a one-day strike on September 3," CITU state President Shyamal Chakraborty told PTI.

Besides fare hike, the unions are demanding government to drop legal proceedings against 450 taxis and halt slapping of Rs 3,000 penalty for passenger refusal, a common practise among the city's cabbies. CITU-affiliated West Bengal Taxi Workers' Union and the AITUC backed Calcutta Taxi Operators' Union organised a march to the state Transport Department headquarters today which was intercepted by police at the Ganesh Chandra Avenue.

Twenty-two drivers were arrested for vandalism during a protest on August 7 and taxis went off the road since August 11 with the drivers demanding their unconditional release. The arrested were later released on bail.