Highlighting the inconvenience faced by the passengers, the app-based taxi drivers on Monday conducted a signature campaign at the Nagpur railway station. The taxi drivers, who are not allowed to pick up the passengers from the Nagpur railway station premises, sought support of the passengers to mount pressure on the concerned authorities.

For the past couple of years, the railway authorities have been restricting the taxi drivers from entering the railway station premises and thus passengers have to cover a long distance to board the taxi. The drivers have to park their taxis near Ganesh Tekdi temple, which is quite a long distance to cover, especially for the passengers carrying luggage.

The signature campaign was conducted under the banner of the Vidarbha App Based Taxi Union. More than 100 passengers, who participated in the campaign, also said that the app-based taxis should be allowed to come inside the gates of the railway station. “It is very difficult for us to catch the taxi. Senior citizens and even ladies have to walk a long distance for no reason,” said one of the passengers requesting not to disclose his identity.

Deepak Sane, President of Vidarbha App Based Taxi Union, said that it is the right of the passengers to board the taxi as soon as they get down from the trains. “There should be a facility for the taxi drivers very close to the platforms to pick up the passengers. But in Nagpur, things are exactly opposite,” he said.

Sane said the Vidarbha App Based Taxi Union has been requesting the railway authorities to take necessary steps in this regard. “But unfortunately, the railway authorities are showing no interest in the matter,” he said.

There are more than 4,000 app-based taxi drivers operating in the city and a large number of passengers are availing it. The passengers book the taxi on-line and the drivers are supposed to pick them up from the location. It is important to note that the app-based taxi drivers cannot pick up the passengers on their own.

But in the case of the traditional auto-rickshaws, the drivers can directly negotiate with the passengers. “There is a huge operational difference between us and the auto-rickshaw drivers. We want the railway authorities to consider it and devise some system for us,” Sane said.