WB govt talks tough,threatens action against agitating cabbies

People were hugely inconvenienced with over 30,000 taxis remaining off the roads for the second consecutive day today over their demand for releasing 22 arrested taxi drivers, who were granted bail by a city court in the afternoon.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Biswarup Seth granted bail to 21 drivers on a bond of Rs 500 each and fixed the next date of hearing in the case of vandalism against them on August 26. One driver had been granted bail yesterday.

Though the main demand of the striking cabbies was release of their co-drivers, there was no word yet on whether the strike would be called off. They have also demanded that the government drop proceedings against 450 taxis and its plan to cancel their permits for the owners' participation in the agitation. The drivers were demanding a halt in the government's slapping of Rs 3,000 penalty for passenger refusal, a common practise among the city's cabbies, and a hike in fares owing to increased diesel prices.

The West Bengal government, however, warned of strict action against any driver or operator if they impede free movement of taxis driven by willing cabbies. "I will hold a meeting with the police on how to stop vandalism by a section of taxi drivers who are creating a sense of panic among willing cabbies to stop plying," state transport minister Madan Mitra told reporters here.

Passengers at major railway stations and NSCB International Airport, as well as patients and office-goers had a harrowing time in reaching their destinations. "I have instructed the police to arrest the drivers involved in vandalism. Drivers should know that leaders of CPI(M) and BJP, who are trying to create anarchy, will flee whenever arrests will be made. CPI(M) leader Shyamal Chakraborty and few others who had never stood for the cause of taxi drivers in the past, are suddenly being sympathetic to them," the minister said.

Left trade union body CITU is backing the drivers' agitation and have said the demand for stopping the Rs 3,000 penalty was justified.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose, talking to reporters after a Front meeting here, said "The Left Front supports the reasonable demands of the taxi drivers. We condemn the state government's attitude towards the taxi drivers and demand that they be sympathetic to their cause." Mitra said that he would ask police authorities to post personnel at all major intersections and facilitate willing taxi drivers to operate their vehicles. Speaking about the meeting scheduled with taxi unions on August 13, he said "Meeting does not mean we will compromise but to tell them categorically that hard decisions will be taken against them if normalcy is not restored."

Mitra apologised for the inconvenience caused to the people due to absence of taxis and said government had arranged extra buses at Sealdah and Howrah stations to ease the situation.