Taxicabs, maxi cabs protest in Udupi district

Taxicabs, maxi cabs protest in Udupi district

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Nov 25, 2015: Members of the Udupi District Taximen’s Association took out a procession and staged a dharna outside the DC office on Nov 24, Tuesday protesting against the government’s directive to install speed governors and illegal ferrying of passengers by private vehicles. As a result, taxicabs and maxi cabs were off the roads in the district.

Addressing the protesters, K. Raghupati Bhat, president of the association and former MLA, said that the operations of tourist taxi cabs and maxi cabs in the district were hit by the operation of about 600 private vehicles (having white number plates) which were illegally ferrying passengers.

Due to this many taxi and maxi cab owners were finding it difficult to repay their loans. Private vehicles ferrying passengers was illegal. Though the numbers of these vehicles were submitted to the Regional Transport Officer, the latter had said that he did not have the personnel to check them.

The government had recently issued a direction making installation of speed governors compulsory for new tourist taxis. These governors permitted a maximum speed of 80 km per hour. But this would create problems while overtaking other vehicles on national highways where multi-utility vehicles and sports utility vehicles travelled at a speed of about 100 to 120 km per hour.

The government had issued this directive under pressure from companies manufacturing speed governors.  The government should withdraw this directive, he said.

Some private buses were violating their route permits and illegally ferrying passengers for marriages and other functions. This had hit the operation of over 1,000 maxi cabs and mini buses. Appropriate action should be taken against such buses.