Taxi Unions Want Action Against Non-Telangana Cabs

HYDERABAD: The unions of taxi and cab drivers on Tuesday expressed concern over vehicles, registered as taxis in other states, operating in Telangana, causing loss of revenue to the state government in form of road tax and also affecting the earnings of local drivers.

The unions alleged that road transport authorities are not enforcing rules stringently and app-based aggregators are engaging them in the business, without checking if they have valid documents. The unions have urged the newly-formed state government in Telangana to address the long-pending issue. They said that they tried to transport ministers in the previous governments but they did not get any respite.

According to Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union president Shaik Salauddin, “Vehicles from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chennai are being hired by Ola and Uber flouting rules. Violating vehicle permit norms, hundreds of cabs from neighbouring states entered Telangana on nominal MV Tax at the border and did not go back. As there is no proper mechanism to identify these vehicles, some of these vehicles are now attached to cab aggregators.”