MiD DAY Test Drive; Week 3, day 2: Are we there yet?

With commuters becoming aware of the campaign, cabbies think twice before refusing a fare

With commuters becoming awareu00a0of the campaign, cabbies think twice before refusing a fare

In the third week of the campaign, 47 taxi drivers were caught for refusing fare. Right from children coming forward to register complaints against errant taxi drivers to taxi drivers mending ways, there is a decrease in the number of refusal of fare complaints. MiD DAY is getting online and sms complaints of other areas, which are being forwarded to the RTO and traffic police officials for further action.u00a0

Trapped! Constables Uttam Kadam and Ganesh Shintel (in plainclothes) fine cabbie Narayan Shinde who refused a commuter at CST. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Here's what we foundu00a0

Reporter: Bipin Kokate
Place: High Street Phoenixu00a0
Time: 5.30 PM - 7.30 pm
Offenders caught: 8
Yesterday, it was children who made a complaint against a cabbie. "We wanted to go to Byculla but he refused. When we saw cop uncle stopping the taxi driver, we approached him and complained," said Ratnesh, an 11-year-old boy. The cop, constable Jalgaonkar later helped the kids find another taxi. In turn, he got a big thank you!

Cabbie Imran Khan rejected three commuters before the cops caught him. He had refused two commuters who wanted to go to Borivali and Dadar respectively. Later, he refused a couple that wanted to go to Lalbaug, saying that they may indulge in PDA and he does not approve of such things. The couple later filed a complaint.

Reporter: Roshan Rizvi
Place: Dadar
Time: 5 PM- 7 pm
Offenders caught: 3
Passengers are aware of the campaign now, and make a complaint with the officials present, whenever the cabbies refuse them. Mohsin Ratnani, a passenger, said, "When I waved at the driver, he saw me but gave no response."

Ravindra Bodke, the constable, who booked the cabbie Dharam Raj, said, "When the meter is in the upward direction, it is compulsory for you to stop, or else you will be penalised."

Reporter: Shailesh Bhatiau00a0
Place: Vile Parle, Nanavati Junction and Bandra
Time: 10am - 1.15pm
and 2pm - 8pm
Offenders caught: 16
"Nab the drivers who enter the platform in Dadar TT, where long distance trains terminate. They virtually act like a well-organised mafia. They hijack the passengers and charge any arbitrary sum for short distances. Forget the outstation passengers, even the locals are not spared," said Krishna, a passenger waiting for a cab in Bandra, when he spotted this reporter.

Krishna apparently had to shell over Rs 500 from Dadar to Bandra, when he returned from Tirupati. A normal fare would be much less than Rs 100, as per the meter.

"Though the morning stint was highly successful in Vile Parle, where we set up the trap for the very first time, and the surprise factor paid off, but the cab drivers in Bandra, certainly seem to be an improved lot," observed API Avinash Pawar, of the Bandra Traffic Police Division.

Reporter: Mritunjay Kumar
Place: CST
Time: 9.00 - 11.00am and
5.30Pm - to 6.30 pm
Offenders caught: 8
When commuters came out of the station, almost every cabbie was ready to ply. At around 10 am, ASI Suresh Walekar caught cabbie Narayan Shinde for not taking a passenger to Colaba and also for jumping the traffic signal. One commuter, Nirja Goel from Sion, was trying to catch a taxi to Nariman Point but the cabbie, Harinand Prasad refused to ply even whenu00a0 the meter position showed 'For Hire'. Another cabbie, Sanju Singh refused a fare to Navy Nagar, and was later booked by constable Uttam Kadam.In his defence, he said "Sir mera meter kaam nahi kar raha hai." But when officialsu00a0 checked the meter, it was
running perfectly.

Reporter: Ramkumar Iyer
Place: Sion
Time: 9 11.30 am
and 5.30pm to 7.30 pm
Offenders Caught: 12
Some taxi drivers blatantly refused commuters despiteu00a0 the police presence. Cabbie Omprakash Chaurasia refused Praveena Maru, who was taking her sick child to Sion Hospital. "Such drivers are a menace for the old and the sick," said a shopkeeper, requesting anonymity.

A bystander who did not wish to be named, rushed to the defence of another cabbie, Mohammed Siddiqui, even though the concerned commuter had filed a complaint. "I always look out for the poor and this campaign is ridiculous and unjust," he said.

To register your complaint call 022-24937755

This is an exclusive number given by traffic police to MiD DAY readers to register
refuse-to-fare complaints.

You can also sms on the MiD DAY number -- 9769874236.
One can also log on to the special url created by MiD DAY with the traffic police, to file a complaint online on https://tpm.mid-day.com.

MiD DAY is running a special campaign to ensure thatu00a0you no longer have to face these rude cabbies.