WORLDWIDE TAXI FOCUS from India
CABBIE TIED UP, THREATENED BY AIRPORT SECURITY OVER PARKING ROW
An argument over a parking space at Mumbai International Airport took an ugly turn recently after two security guards tied a taxi driver to a chair and threatened him. The guards were subsequently arrested on Wednesday 6 September. According to the complainant, Awadhesh Ram Pal, he had parked his vehicle in a no-parking area of the airport for which he was fined by the traffic police. When he went to pick up his car, two Krystal Security guards stopped him and asked him questions. “I told them about being fined by the police which I had already paid. But the guards got hold of me and took me into a security cabin nearby,” he said and added that they were in an inebriated condition. Inside, the guards tied him to a chair. “They said they would not let me go until their duty was over. They also abused me and made several threats.” Fortunately, two other taxi drivers passed by the cabin and saw what was happening and informed Sahar police station. A police team rescued Pal. “The two guards were arrested under section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code. and were released on bail”, a police officer said. In the last few months, several videos of spats over parking issues have surfaced. In April, a video showing private security personnel thrashing and abusing taxi drivers had gone viral. Kanhaiyya
Singh,
president of Mumbai Airport Taxi Auto union, said most of the instances of violence against taxi and auto drivers go unreported. “Even the police avoid taking a formal com- plaint. In the case of the April incident, we had submitted the video to the police. However, a First Information Report was only registered after it went viral.” He added that the drivers are fighting against the favouritism that authorities are showing towards cab aggregators. “We are up against very powerful forces.
PHTM OCTOBER 2023
Even Krystal Security is owned by a political leader. Despite their guards behaving like goons, no one would help us against them.”
from Australia
CABBIES IN VICTORIA MUST TURN ON METERS AND NOT NEGOTIATE FARES
Victorian taxi drivers will be forced to turn on their meters for rides hailed on the street or ranks under regulation changes to stop fare surging. The Victorian government is updating commercial passenger industry regulations to ban taxi drivers from negotiating fares for unbooked trips in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, starting from 28 September ahead of the AFL grand final, Melbourne Cup Carnival and Australian Open. Taxi drivers were allowed to negotiate the cost of a ride if approached without a booking after the industry was deregulated in 2018 to accommodate rideshare services such as Uber. It has resulted in some taxi drivers requesting exorbitant prices for short trips during major Melbourne events, including the Australian Open and Formula One Grand Prix. The state’s public transport minister, Ben Carroll, said the amended regulations would mean taxi drivers must use their meters for trips from ranks or when hailed on the street. “We’re making sure the rules are clear and that people travelling by rank and hailing taxis will get to where they need to go without frustrating price hikes.” Victorian Taxi Association director Peter Valentine said the issue became noticeable on Caulfield Cup day last year and progressively got worse. “It’s not acceptable for residents or visitors to come into the city and be treated this way, and it’s not a safe atmosphere for drivers or passengers,” he said. 13Cabs spokesman David Samuel said the sector welcomed the reforms. “These changes will help provide some certainty for people when leaving these great events that Melbourne has to offer,” he said. “Most of our drivers do the right thing. We want to see that small cohort of drivers being held accountable for their behaviour.” In May, the NSW state government increased the fines for drivers refusing to turn on their meter to $1,000, after complaints increased in 2022.
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