Bike-taxis eating into earnings: Auto unions warn of protest

Auto-rickshaw unions in Pune have threatened to halt their operations and launch a protest if unauthorized bike-taxi services continue in the district. Representatives from 17 auto-rickshaw unions met Deputy RTO Swapnil Bhosale and demanded the immediate cessation of bike-taxi services, threatening to surrender their autorickshaws and badges at the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) if their demands are not met within 15 days.

Ashok Salekar, chief of the Shivneri Auto Union, stated that bike-taxi services persist despite the district administration's directive to cease them pending licensing. The unions claim that unauthorized bike-taxi services are taking away passengers and causing financial losses for auto-rickshaw drivers, with one driver alerting that the situation is pushing drivers into severe distress.

While questioning the action against auto-rickshaw drivers, a protester argued that bike-taxi operators, who are operating without proper licenses, should also face penalties. Deputy RTO Bhosale acknowledged initiating action against unauthorized bike-taxi services following directions from the Pune Collector on October 15 and mentioned that the cyber department is working on stopping the aggregator app's functioning, but is facing legal issues.

Bhosale also revealed that Uber had begun bike-taxi services in Pune without a valid license, and action is expected from the Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO, though no license has been granted to any aggregator for bike-taxi operations yet. Dr Keshav Nana Kshirsagar, President of Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha, has called for a demonstration at the Pune collectorate on November 2, demanding an end to bike-taxi services and the display of RTA-approved rates on aggregator apps, citing repeated unmet demands from the administration and RTO officials.