Rickshaw body gears for strike as radio cabs enter auto zone.

Indian Express: Pune: Thursday, April 2, 2015. 

Even as auto-rickshaw unions are crying foul over radio cab operators entering their domain “illegally”, officials from the Ministry of Road Transport say the entry of “service aggregations” in auto-rickshaw platforms (platforms as a service or ‘PaaS’) is not illegal. Auto-rickshaw unions in Pune are getting ready to launch an indefinite agitation against taxis licensed to ferry tourists doubling up as normal radio cabs that serve as a means of public transport in general.

Nitin Pawar, convenor of the Rickshaw Panchayat, claimed that radio cabs meant for tourists ferrying passengers in general was illegal. They are talking of launching an indefinite strike on April 22.

Introduction of service aggregators like Ola in the autorickshaw platform has been strongly opposed by rickshaw unions in Pune. Rickshaws had remained off the roads on March 16. The daylong strike was called by the Rickshaw Panchayat. Protests outside the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and district collector’s office were held against radio cabs.

Nitin Pawar said radio cabs in autorickshaw platform was illegal as companies have not taken any permission.

Ola, the largest of the service aggregators, has around 2,500 auto-rickshaws listed on their platform. Ola started auto-rickshaw services in Pune in November 2014. Auto-rickshaw drivers in the city talk about the aggressive enlistment policy being undertaken by the company.

Senior officials of the road transport ministry said that introduction of aggregator services in the domain of public transport would allow more choices for the consumer and also decongest the city’s roads. “Radio cabs operate under tourist taxi permit. Instead of going to stalls, passengers have the luxury of calling up a phone number or using an App to hail a cab or auto-rickshaw. This is well within the legal framework,” said a senior official. Explaining the role of service aggregators, an official said that they act as a platform for sellers and buyers to meet. “As per existing laws this is legal and no further permission or permit is necessary for running such services,” they said.

Officials said that following the alleged rape of a woman in Delhi by the driver of a radio cab, the transport commissioner of Maharashtra had held a meeting with taxi service aggregators in the state. “During the meeting the commissioner asked the aggregators to ensure background check of drivers and to ensure proper security precautions,” he said. Although auto-rickshaw unions are calling for action against radio cabs, there are no talks of such a thing happening at the government level. Asked about the reason for their contention Pawar said that the past experience of auto-rickshaw drivers who had gone for such services has not been good. “We got RTI information from the RTO that such service aggregators do not have any licence to operate. The auto-rickshaws have permits licenses, badges so they are allowed to ply,”