Mumbai autorickshaw strike: Twitterati not pleased, taxi providers capitalise

While Uber has said it would not apply surge charge pricing, Ola has hiked their prices to almost three times the normal fare

Even as the Mumbai Automen's Union (MAU) called for a day-long bandh in protest against private cab aggregators like Uber and Ola, they don’t seem to be garnering much support, at least not on Twitter. With #autostrike ranking amongst the top-trending hashtags, a large number of Indian Twitter users have gone on to slam the strike, crticising auto-drivers  for being “lazy” and  making “illicit demands”. 

The Shashank Rao-led  MAU is the largest  autorickshaw drivers' union in the city, and Wednesday morning saw thousands of autos refusing to ply. 

While most commuters have gone on to voice their inconvenience and anger, some have quoted auto-drivers themselves complaining about the strike. 

 

An auto-driver on #autostrike said: "The union is not in our interest. If we continue the strikes every two months, who will earn?"

— Farhan Shaikh (@farhanshaikh_) June 17, 2015

Others have cited private cabs and Mumbai public transport as better options than autos:

Andheri to Powai in 35 mins thanks to #mumbaimetro & #Uber .. This #taxistrike #autostrike ain't a bad idea

— Zarik Nabi (@Z_h_N) June 17, 2015

.

I for one, would any day opt for an @Uber @Olacabs or @taxiforsure cab as opposed to pleading to rick/cab drivers! #AutoStrike 2/2

— Archeet N (@archeetn) June 17, 2015

There have also been a few humorous picks on improved traffic in the Maximum City in the absence of autorikshaws.

#autostrike Huge loss in Traffic Signal Beggars Association's revenue.

— Abhishek Jeenwal (@CANCERMANIA) June 17, 2015

Imagine kind of less air n NOISE pollution due to #autostrike , thy shld do ths @least once in a month

— D K (@242deepak) June 17, 2015

If only the rickshaw walas can be on a permanent #autostrike. Never knew driving in Mumbai could be this easy! @TrafflineMUM

— Karan Karayi (@karankarayi) June 17, 2015

In fact, the strike, while demanding a ban on private taxi providors and seeking action on vehicles that can be called through call centres or mobile apps, may end up benefiting them, reported Firstpost.com.  According to the report, Uber has already announced that they would not apply dynamic, or surge charge, pricing on Wednesday to ensure that Mumbai's citizens can get around the city seamlessly. Ola on the other hand decided to hike its fares almost three times in order to capitalise on the strike.