Bhopal passengers may have messy few days ahead,because taxi drivers in Bhopal,Madhya Pradesh are preparing for three-day strike from June 23 to June 25 . And honestly,airport travel is where people will feel this first .
Drivers are protesting against aggregator companies,claiming these app-based services are hurting their livelihood badly . During strike period,drivers are expected to refuse bookings from app-based services,which means people going to or coming from Bhopal Airport may face real trouble .
And this did not come suddenly only . Rajesh Kumar Nagle,the union's General Secretary,said earlier symbolic protests were already held on February 7 and June 12 . But according to union,no major action happened after that,so now they are moving towards bigger protest .
Main demands being raised are quite direct:
- Implementation of state-fixed fares,with aggregator companies following government-set fare rates.
- Base fare set at ₹40,with ₹20–25 per kilometre after that.
- Mandatory passenger KYC,so drivers feel safer during rides .
But demands are not stopping there. Union is also asking for separate payments for time spent on rides,proper fare calculation through Google Maps and mandatory insurance for drivers . These things may sound technical,but for drivers,this is daily income and safety issue ah.
Nagle has also warned that if demands are not addressed soon,they may completely halt taxi and auto services in Bhopal . That is not small thing,because once autos also stop,normal city movement can get badly affected.
And there are some other complaints too. Union wants blocked driver IDs to be reopened,and aggregator companies to set up regional offices in Bhopal . They are also asking for end of one-way booking system,which they feel is unfair to drivers.
Tbh,this fight between taxi drivers and app companies is not new,but every time it reaches strike stage,ordinary passengers get stuck in middle . Driver wants fair earning,passenger wants ride,company controls app and fare structure .
Now question is whether authorities and aggregator firms will actually sit and sort this before June 23,or Bhopal will first face disruption and then discussion…
