What is BMC driving at with its parking policy? ask taxi, auto drivers

The Mumbai Taximens' Union has said the civic body cannot cancel RTO-authorised taxi stands, while the Mumbai Automens' Union has said autos and taxis must be left out of the policy

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) new parking policy has also rattled taxi and auto rickshaw drivers. The Mumbai Taximens' Union has shot off a letter to the BMC saying it has no right to cancel the existing RTO-authorised taxi stands and cannot take action against taxis parked there even if they are within 500 metres of public parking places (PPL); while the Mumbai Automens' Union has said that autos are public service vehicles, and it should not include autos and taxis in the policy.

'BMC can't cancel taxi stands'

"The BMC has identified about 29 public parking lots in Mumbai city. All vehicles parked within a 500 metre radius of these PPLs are towed away by the BMC with a high penalty from the offenders. However, I want to highlight the fact that within these 500 metres, there are a large number of designated taxi stands which were erected by the RTO, Mumbai," Mumbai Taximens' leader Anthony L Quadros said.

"Such taxi stands were approved by the Taxi Stand Committee consisting of members of RTO Traffic Police, BMC, passenger associations and taxi unions for the convenience of passengers. The BMC has now banned parking of taxis there, but it has no authority to cancel the designated taxi stands in such a manner," he said.

"Secondly, taxi drivers mostly drive their cabs in two shifts and cannot park at the PPLs. And since a majority of the PPLs close at 9 pm, we have requested the BMC to allow us to park from 8 pm to 8 am anywhere on roads," he added.

"In case of autos, I wish to clarify that we pay road tax and all other kinds of taxes to the government, after which they issue permits, and that our vehicles are for public service. We do not have any designated parking places, and the BMC should not include autos and taxis in the parking policy that has been mainly devised for private vehicles," Mumbai Automens' Union leader Shashank Sharad Rao told mid-day.

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