BEST commuters irked, app cabbies upset, city’s transport in sorry state

While app-based cab drivers are planning a second strike, BEST passenger associations to protest at depots over depleted fleet, paucity of routes

- Shashank Rao

A crucial part of the city’s public transport system is on the verge of becoming paralysed, with driver unions of app-based cabs planning a second strike. On the other hand, organisations backing passengers of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking threatening protests shows the transport body's functioning in a poor light. In a meeting between driver unions on Tuesday, the possibility of a massive protest was discussed any day after July 29. Likewise, different passenger associations have threatened to protest outside 27 BEST depots on August 7.

(See box about problems faced by the two groups.)

What ails app-based drivers?

Four days after temporarily withdrawing their protest, the aggregator unions have decided on a large-scale protest as they are unhappy with the state government's “meek response” to their demands.

On Tuesday, members of Maharashtra Gig Workers Forum (MGWE) - which represents drivers of app-based cabs and twoand three-wheelers, and courier partners - who have been on a hunger strike for nearly five days, met officials from the state transport department. People in the know have said, the government also held meetings with representatives of Uber, Ola and Rapido to resolve the many festering problems with the driver partners who are protesting across the state.