Airport cabbies protest driver’s death

Taxi drivers protest the lack of medical facilities at the airport which led to the driver’s death. (Photo: Mrugesh Bandiwadekar)

Nearly 700 to 800 taxi drivers of Mumbai airport on Monday held an agitation after one taxi driver died while waiting in the pick-up point queue of the international airport. Between 2pm and 4.30pm, no passenger was picked up by the protesting cab drivers, who demanded better facilities for themselves at the airport pick-up point. In the bargain, several passengers who had just landed at the city airport were majorly inconvenienced. An official close to the development, however, said, “It is very unfortunate that this happened. But, passenger convenience was taken care of and alternate arrangements too were made for passengers.”

The entire incident occurred after taxi driver Vinod Sharma (50) died in his taxi while it was stationed at the arrival terminal level P4 of T2. Only later when other cabbies discovered that Sharma had collapsed in his taxi, they called Mumbai airport operator, GVK’s landslide department for assistance to send the GVK MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Limited) ambulance. Taxi drivers alleged that the ambulance came half-an-hour late and did not have any doctor or equipment for assistance. By 2 pm, Sharma was rushed to Cooper Hospital where doctors declared him dead. A taxi driver, R.P. Ojha, said, “His taxi wasn’t moving at all and a jam was created so we honked but nothing happened. Later, one of us went to his taxi only to find he had fainted.”

Taxi driver Guddu Singh told The Asian Age: “Since 1985, we are working here and ferrying 4,500 passengers daily. But, we are not getting any support from GVK and in the last six months, three of our drivers have died while waiting for passengers. So, drivers of kaali-peeli taxis and cool cabs agitated on Monday afternoon.” Another cabbie, B.P. Pandey said that several times, taxi and auto drivers had also asked for a toilet as they had to wait long hours in the parking queue at the terminal but in vain.