No let-up in attacks on online taxi operators in Kozhikode

Traditional taxi drivers vow to resist all city online services

Traditional taxi operators in Kozhikode up in arms .

The continuing assaults on online taxi service providers, allegedly carried out by a group of traditional taxi drivers, have again put the passengers at the receiving end. The situation remains unchanged even after holding several rounds of discussions and conciliation talks under the leadership of the district administration, police and Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) in the district.

In the past four days, three major attacks were reported against online taxi operators in the district. Even the passengers, who hired the vehicles, were not spared by the gangs. The attacks were mostly against those who sought the service from Kozhikode railway station. An online taxi service operator said none of the accused in the three recent cases were arrested as the inquiry was moving at a snail’s pace.

Santhosh Kumar, a driver attached to one of the leading online cab operators, said a four-member gang of taxi drivers threatened him at the Kozhikode railway station on Sunday while he was trying to pick up his passengers around 11 a.m. In his complaint lodged with the traffic police, Mr. Kumar alleged that he was prevented by the gang with a claim that they had a police order banning all the operations of online cabs in the city.

Leaders of the Kozhikode Consumer Protection Committee said the attack on online taxi service providers would come down only with stringent action by the police. The Motor Vehicles Department authorities should suspend the licences and permits of all those involved in such attacks and protect the freedom of passengers to hire the vehicles of their choice, they demanded.

Meanwhile, a coordination committee of the traditional taxi operators in the city made it clear that they would continue to resist the city service of all online cab operators as it was causing huge losses to the traditional entrepreneurs in the sector. They also clarified that long distance service operated by the online service providers would not be opposed.

K.K. Mammu, Centre of Indian Trade Union leader said the State government had come up with a proposal to launch an online-based taxi service system with the cooperation of the traditional taxi drivers. “We have already assured our support to that initiative as it will be mutually beneficial for the taxi drivers and the passengers. However, we will not be able to entertain the existing mode of online taxi service operations as it benefits only a few on top of its management,” he said.