Rides were especially difficult to hail from the Ahmedabad airport and railway stations
Ahmedabad: When medical student Tanay Shah landed at Ahmedabad airport around 11pm on Tuesday, he expected a cab ride to Chandkheda to cost about Rs 400. “Instead, after accepting my booking, the cabbie called up, asking for Rs 1,000 for the roughly 20-minute ride. Cab drivers outside the airport toll booth quoted Rs 800. I was to tell them I was his distant relative,” she said, adding she paid Rs 300 for an 11km ride, which normally would have cost her under Rs 200. “It comes to Rs 100. But this evening, it showed Rs 250. It has also demanded govt-notified fares for bike taxis and taxis under Section 67 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Each driver demanded a similar amount,” he said. “I had read about the strike a few days before it began, but didn’t expect it to hit commuters this badly,” said Ayyan Karmakar, an entrepreneur, who had to spend 30 agonising minutes finding an auto ride on Monday. My driver smiled and waved to them, signalling that it was only a short trip,” he said. A Tragad resident said she came to know of the strike only when she was unable to book a ride. The uncertainty is affecting both drivers and commuters,” said Rajvir Upadhyay, president, Gujarat Sarthi Sangh.
I made three more attempts to book another ride. With no affordable ride available, Shah asked his friend to drop him home. “Just as I asked my neighbour to drop me to work, one auto driver accepted my ride. On the way, several drivers tried stopping us. “All apps showed exorbitant fares. I couldn’t understand why. An auto driver finally accepted, but asked me not to reveal I was a passenger if stopped by other auto drivers. Thaltej resident Lily Mathew was willing to shell out more than double the fare she normally pays for a trip to Iskcon-Ambli Road. I resigned myself to the fact as I had no other choice. Gujarat Sarthi Sangh, a union of autorickshaw and taxi drivers, has sought a clear regulatory framework for app-based bike taxis. In a representation to state transport authorities, the union sought permission for such services, permits for the vehicles or action against aggregator companies if the services violate existing rules. “If govt believes that app-based bike taxis are operating illegally, action should be taken against the aggregator companies and not the drivers. Alternatively, govt should frame clear rules, issue permits and notify fares for these services.
Yet, no driver accepted my booking,” she said on Tuesday.
