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Mumbai: The Shashank Rao-led Mumbai Auto Rickshaw-Taximen’s Union has decide to follow in the footsteps of taxi unions, which went on a day-long strike on Monday to protest against fleet cab service providers in the city Commuters, office-goers and students were hit badly as autorickshaws went off the roads on Wednesday in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai to press for their demands of banning radio taxis and having a social welfare scheme. This is the second time in two days that Mumbai commuters have been hit after Tuesday’s strike by a section of taxi-drivers union led by Nitesh Rane. Wednesday’s strike saw many people either walking down to the nearest railway stations, awaiting the overcrowded BEST or ST buses, using private vehicles or two-wheelers.

Braving rains in many parts, passengers at the airport here as well as at the rail terminals in various places in the city had a harrowing time. The strike, in which Shiv Sena and the taxi-men’s unions are not taking part, led to a spurt in demand for various private and radio taxi services. Ironically, one of demands of the autorickshaw drivers is a ban on these radio taxis.

Claiming that app-based fleet cab aggregators like Uber and Ola were affecting the livelihoods of auto drivers, Mumbai Autorickshawmens Union chief Shashank Rao said about 75,000 union members would be staying off the roads for the next 24 hours starting Tuesday midnight. “These Uber and Ola cabs are plying passengers illegally

Even private buses and vehicles ferry passengers, which is wrong,” said Rao. He warned of more such agitations in future if the government fails to accede to their demands.

Transport Minister Diwakar Raote said that the government has taken note of their demands and they would consider them.

Besides, the other demands are a social welfare scheme for autorickawmen, status of ’public servant’ to them, issuing rickshaw permits quickly to those on waiting lists and so on.

Also Read: State Transport Minister calls Mumbai’s auto drivers cheats

Anticipating a surge in the number of passengers using bus services today, BEST spokesperson H Gophane said, “We will be running extra buses, if the need arises. All the 26 depots have been asked to stay prepared to operate additional buses.”

Meanwhile, Uber officials said they would operate services based on regular fares instead of the dynamic pricing that was implemented following Monday’s day-long strike called by taxi unions across Mumbai.