Auto strike failed throughout the Maharashtra, says transport minister

State transport minister Diwakar Raote on Wednesday claimed that barring a few suburban areas in Mumbai and Pune the strike call given by auto unions failed throughout the state.

Addressing a press conference at his office, Raote claimed that in Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Vasai, Panvel, Nashik, Dhule, Kolhapur, Latur, Amravati and Nanded, the strike was foiled completely, with autorickshaws plying on the roads as usual. He admitted that in Mumbai 50% autorickshaws participated in the strike but maintained that his department had made provision for 100 state transport buses to try and make up for the loss of the three-wheelers.

Raote informed that he himself visited the Borivli to Vile Parle stretch as well as Sion and Ghatkopar by travelling in an autorickshaw. He said that he did not find passengers stranded anywhere as 50% of the autorickshaws were plying as usual because Shiv Sena unions were not part of the strike.

Raote said that the union representatives met transport commissioner Soniya Sethi at 2.30pm and handed over a memorandum of their demands, after which she discussed the issues with the union leaders. Raote added that after the satisfactory discussion with Sethi, union leader Shashank Rao gave in writing that the strike was called off at 5pm in the evening.