The second day of the strike was curiouser than the first. While the taximen union reiterated that the cabbies are not striking but are being forced to stay off the roads by Nitesh Rane-led Swabhimaan Sangthana, the state government threatened to invoke the Essential Service Maintenance Act on them.
On the ground, some cabbies braved the threat by either imposing ‘strike charge’ on commuters or by plying share taxis with meters down.
Taximen union chairperson AL Quadros told DNA that he feared that by being forced off the road, cabbies may not be allowed to hike fares, as the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat has demanded that ESMA be invoked. “We are not on strike and have made it clear to the taximen. We are trying hard to get them back on the road, but some people are creating a problem,” said Quadros.
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