Uber urges users to sign online petition against new taxi rules

MUMBAI Taxi aggregator Uber has started an online petition seeking support from commuters against the new rules proposed by the Maharashtra government to app-based taxis.

In a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last week, the Us-based taxi service provider has already raised objections to the draft Maharashtra City Taxi Rules 2016, published on October 15.

Requesting people to sign the petition, Uber said, New rules, “If adopted, they will mean an end to the Uber you know and love today,” states Uber request.

Sharing the petition link through email and social media, Uber urged passengers to sign it. Uber has raised objections over the excessively high permit fees for drivers, a requirement for more expensive cars, less fuel efficient cars, and price restrictions, including mandatory minimum fares.

“This will mean much higher fares and longer waiting times for you - the rider,” states the petition. It further says -- the answer is to level the playing field by reducing today’s burdensome regulations - not to introduce rules that will be bad for riders, drivers and Mumbai.

Taxi industry sources said Uber had used the similar method for pressuring the government last year when Maharashtra government had proposed rules for app-based taxis in 2015. But the government did not pay much heed.

Taxi industry sources said commuters have become smart and you cannot fool them with such appeals. They know that app-based taxi service is better, but they also aware that surge pricing would be troublesome MUMBAI: Two more witnesses have failed to support the prosecution’s case in the trial of brutal murder of Farid Tanasha, close aide of gangster Chhota Rajan.

The prosecution examined two witnesses in the case on Wednesday in connection with a dispute regarding the redevelopment of a society, which allegedly led to Tanasha being shot dead. Tanasha was shot at his Chembur residence by four assailants on June 3, 2010.

The prosecution alleged the gangster was killed at the behest of builder Dattatrya Bhakare, who wanted to eliminate Tanasha as he interfered with a project he was developing. Bhakare allegedly paid Bharat Nepali help him kill Tanasha.

However, a member of the society who was examined, did not support the prosecution’s claim that the society had a dispute with the developer and that society members asked Tanasha for his help.

Another witness who was privy to the money allegedly transferred to the killers on behalf of the developer, was declared hostile.

The prosecution has examined 25 witnesses in the case. So far five of them have not sup