The city’s taxis refuse to ply more than they agree to drop you at your destination. What can be done?
by Jatin Sharma | @jatiin_sharma on Twitter
In the 1990s, the Mumbai Regional Transport Office (RTO) had a rule. Every day, before they started plying on the roads of Mumbai, all rickshawwallahs and taxiwallahs had to go to the RTO and get their cards signed. Again, at the end of that day’s business, they would have to go to the RTO and sign to close the day’s register. This rule was kept a check on autos and taxis plying on the roads daily, but was later done away with due to the inconvenience that was caused to the auto and taxiwallahs.
But this rule resulted in one very positive thing: it became the reason that the city’s passengers received some good service from these men who ran part of the transport network. The drivers of the city’s taxis and autos had a higher authority they were directly answerable to, and this helped check errant behaviour.
Cut to the present day. Recently, I saw a woman at Bandra East asked a cabbie to take her to Bandra West. Now, since most of the city’s autos and taxis believe in a long distance relationship with their customers, this guy refused to ply. To add to her ire, he also gave her a bit of gyaan when she asked why he refused to ply. “Jao kanoon padh kar aao, hum aapke naukar nahin hain (Go study the rule. We are not your servants),” he said.
Naturally, I called up the taxi union and asked them to take action against this particular rascal, supplying details of his cab number. But even while doing so, I realised that the city is constantly reeling under the atrocious attitude of these hooligans behind the wheels, who are only increasing in number. Most of us will fondly recall the Mumbai of yesteryears, when such blatant violation of rules was never seen – was it because taxi and rickshawallahs were constantly reminded that they formed a part of the public transport system, and that they were, essentially, public servants?
These days, too, these auto and taxi drivers wear badges and uniforms designated for their type of vehicle, just like old times. But on a daily basis, there are several unregistered 
auto and taxi drivers who take the vehicles out for business without the required uniform, badge and registration papers in place. Most people are , to this day, unaware that they can turn a cabbie or autowallah over to the cops for the slightest violation of rules. Astoundingly, a lot of people are content letting unruly behaviour from auto and taxi drivers slide, if it means that the driver will deign to ferry customers to a certain spot.
What is needed is immediate intervention from the Government and the RTO, which should put in place a system of swift penalty and punishment to auto and taxi drivers who refuse to ply. It is not enough to merely supply a helpline number (that citizens can complain on – all calls must be received and immediate assistance provided. If traffic cops do take action, it is days after the actual offence has been committed – and auto and taxi drivers know this. No wonder then, that their brazenness increases by the day, and they feel it is their birthright to hold Mumbaikars hostage. And this, despite the steep fares the city shells out just to travel from Spot A to Spot B.
Jatin Sharma is a media professional who doesn’t want to grow up, because if he grows up, he will be like everybody else. ‘Overdose’ is his take on Mumbai’s quirks and quibbles.
(Pictures courtesy www.stockpicturesforeveryone.com, news.rediff.com. Images are used for representational purposes only)
