Mumbai airport has turned into a turf war between the taximen’s union and private cab companies Mumbai airport has turned into a turf war between taxis belonging to the Mumbai Taximen’s Union and private cab companies like Mega, Meru, Gold and She Cabs. The latter have been operating in the airport area for some time now, but are being shooed away with threats of violence. Their vehicles are not allowed to use the parking lot earmarked for cabs. Private cabs are becoming increasingly popular in Mumbai because of their professionalism and better vehicles. The Union, on the other hand, has been consistently opposing the state government’s decision to allow private services. The trigger for the latest round of sparring was the introduction of the prepaid taxi service at the domestic airport. The traffic police has given safety assurances to private operators, but that doesn’t seem to be enough. Says Gavin Dabreo of Meru Cabs, “It should be left to customers to choose their mode of transport and private cabs must be given their space. The authorities must make exclusive parking zones available to private cabs... We expect it will take some time for it to be sorted out.”
