Kochi: The city police is trying to bring an amicable settlement in the dispute between the traditional taxi and autorikshaw operators and hail taxi operators such as Uber and Ola over setting up kiosks in the railway stations at Ernakulam and Aluva. Although the Railways signed a pact with the app-based online taxi operators for setting up kiosks in the station premises, they were unable to operate from there due to the stiff opposition by traditional taxi and auto operators. “We are trying to solve the matter amicably and hope a solution will emerge in the next two days”, K. Laljy ACP, Ernakulam, told this newspaper on Friday. Discussions are being held with the representatives of the taxi and auto unions in this regard, he added.
The Railways approached the police and sought their help for the functioning of the kiosks in the railway stations as online operators were unable to start operations even 10 days after signing the agreement. The Railways signed an agreement with Uber for setting up counters at Thiruvananthapuram, Aluva, Ernakulam North and Thrissur and with Ola for Ernakulam South railway station.
Initially the agreement was signed for three months according to which a fixed area would be earmarked for setting up a help desk and parking of a few cabs upon availability of vacant area. The Railways charged Rs 10 lakh from the taxi operators for the purpose. The Railways had planned to extend the agreement on a long-term basis after the success in the first three months.
The traditional taxi operators in railways stations have complained that the decision will put an end to their livelihood and said they would oppose the decision vehemently. A traditional taxi operator pays Rs 6,000 per year for permission to operate from the station premises. “The Indian Railways should not behave like a real estate broker without any regard for the livelihood of hundreds of people working in the space for many years”, said a taxi operator in Ernakulam railway station.
