Auto and Taxi Operators End Gandhinagar Demonstration as Govt Assures Action on White-Plate Taxis and Fare Revision

Gandhinagar: Protesting autorickshaw and taxi drivers concluded their demonstrations outside the Transport Commissioner's office on Monday evening following concrete assurances from senior authorities, including an immediate crackdown on illegal white-plate commercial vehicles and a 20-day timeline to set up a taxi fare revision committee. Transport Department officials held two rounds of talks with union leaders to address key grievances regarding ride-hailing services, while the pressing issue of taxi aggregators and Bharat Taxi remains unresolved.

The breakthrough came after escalating tension outside the Transport Commissioner's office, where auto and taxi drivers gathered to stage demonstrations after an initial round of negotiations yielded no immediate resolution. Joint Commissioner of Transport Chaudhari later addressed the protesting drivers directly, outlining concrete commitments made by the administration.

Immediate Clampdown on White-Plate Commercial Operations

The primary resolution from the meeting is an immediate crackdown on white-plate two-wheelers and four-wheelers operating as commercial taxis or bike-taxis without proper permits. The Transport Department has assigned Regional Transport Office (RTO) teams to begin field operations immediately against illegal private vehicles.

Key assurances made during the negotiations include:

• Crackdown on Illegal Private Vehicles: Immediate RTO drive ordered against white-plate two-wheelers and cars providing commercial taxi services.
• Rate Fixation Committee: A dedicated Rate Committee will be formed within 20 days to determine official taxi fare structures.
• Aggregator Platform Ban Decision: A one-month window requested to hold follow-up meetings and decide on operational restrictions or bans regarding aggregators like Ola, Uber, and Rapido.
• Protest Dispersal: Auto and taxi operators agreed to leave the Gandhinagar demonstration site following positive assurances from Joint Commissioner Chaudhari.

One-Month Deadline Set for Ola, Uber, and Rapido Decision

The leadership of the Ahmedabad Riksha Chalak Ekta Union, headed by President Vijay Makwana and Vice President Kishanbhai Kori, welcomed the government's stance while noting that a final decision on app-based aggregators remains pending.

Transport officials have requested 20 days to constitute a Rate Committee tasked with establishing fair, regulated tariffs for conventional taxis across Gujarat. Furthermore, a one-month deadline has been set to convene a dedicated committee meeting to determine policy action regarding operations of major tech aggregators including Ola, Uber, and Rapido.