Mumbai autos, taxis may go off roads today: Here's why
What's the story
The Mumbai Auto Rickshaw and Taxi Men Union has warned that the city's public transport may come to a standstill by evening. The warning comes after a major disruption in the supply of compressed natural gas (CNG), which fuels most of the autorickshaws and taxis. Shashank Rao, President of the union, said if CNG supply isn't restored soon, "almost all the autos and taxis will be off road by the evening."
Supply halt
CNG supply disruption impacts Mumbai's transport
The disruption was caused by damage to a main pipeline at Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers's Chembur plant. This affected Mahanagar Gas Ltd's (MGL) Wadala station, halting operations at all 486 CNG refueling stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The damage has left autorickshaws, taxis, busses, and aggregator cabs like Uber and Ola off the roads.
Supply priority
MGL prioritizes domestic supply amid CNG crisis
MGL has prioritized supply to residential piped natural gas consumers, leaving industrial and commercial users to seek alternative fuels. The company said normal supply is expected from Tuesday, November 18. However, till then, road transport in the MMR will continue to be affected due to the lack of CNG fuel.
Alternative measures
Union leader calls for alternative solutions
Mumbai Rickshawmen's Union leader Thampy Kurien has called on MGL to find alternative solutions in such scenarios. He highlighted that similar situations have been resolved quickly in the past. "We cannot keep autos off roads for two days. It will affect the livelihood of many drivers across the suburbs," he said, stressing the need for prompt action to restore CNG supply and minimize disruption to public transport services.