Deb steps in, taxi owners defer strike - Bagdogra taxi owners and drivers demanded immediate revision of fares

Earlier this week, Bagdogra taxi owners and drivers decided to go on an indefinite strike over demands that included immediate revision of fares last hiked by the state in 2008

Gautam Deb said he would discuss the valid points raised by the taxi owners with Mamata Banerjee after he went to Calcutta.: The Telegraph file picture

TT  |   Siliguri   |    15.01.21 : Taxi owners and drivers of Bagdogra and Siliguri, planning a strike earlier this week to demand revised fares, among others, decided to defer it for a fortnight after talks with state tourism minister Gautam Deb on Thursday.

“We had a long discussion with the minister who assured us he will take up our demands with the chief minister. He also told us that within 15 days we will be apprised about the initiatives,” said Siraj Bhowmik, president of the Bagdogra Taxi Owners Welfare Association.

Deb told the media that he thanked taxi owners for deferring the strike to help tourism and said they raised some valid points that he would discuss with Mamata Banerjee after he went to Calcutta on Friday.  

Earlier this week, taxi owners and drivers in Bagdogra airport — around 1,200 taxis ply from the airport — decided to go on an indefinite strike over demands that included immediate revision of fares last hiked by the state in 2008. 

This decision won support from some other transport outfits, including drivers of luxury taxis. In all, it was feared that 3,000-odd cabs would go off roads in and around Siliguri.

This left the tourism stakeholders worried.

Darjeeling district administration intervened and based on a meeting on January 11, taxi owners deferred the strike till Deb’s meeting with them on Thursday.

On January 27, a meeting of the Regional Transport Authority would be held to discuss the revision of fares, said sources.