On Monday, Bus Day was Taxi Day, too

Taxi drivers made a killing on Monday with there being no alternative for the passengers stranded at bus terminals and railway stations.

In fact, it virtually was a ‘Taxi Day’. Being the first Monday of the month, it was also the Bus Day of the BMTC.

Hundreds of taxis were seen plying even for short distances. Not only the common Tata Indicas, but also luxury cars which usually ply as taxis for customers in star hotels, were seen at railway stations and bus stands, picking up passengers.

Jeevan, an attendant at a prepaid taxi stand at City railway station said usually 200 passengers book taxis per day while the number crossed 500 in just half a day on Monday.

“Taxis are usually booked for places such as Marathahalli, Electronics City or Whitefield. But, today there was a huge demand even for nearby places such as Chickpet, Rajajinagar and Chamarajpet,” he said.

Taxi drivers were charging Rs 300-400 for even five kilometres. “I wanted a taxi till Rajajinagar main road. When I asked one of the taxi divers at Majestic, he told me I will have to pay Rs 600, for less than eight kilometres,” said Akash S, a Bangalore-based sales agent.

Srinivas, a prepaid taxi driver, said they understand the problems of people and were trying to help the passengers. “But people will have to share taxis. They will also have to pay more compared to autos, because of the fuel charges.”

Subhash, a banker, who resides in Kalyan Nagar on the Outer Ring Road and works with a bank at Trinity Circle, shelled out Rs 500 to reach his bank.

“I had no choice but to pay whatever the taxi driver asked me. It being Monday and the New Year having just begun, I could not have taken the risk of going late to work.”