Meru Cabs, a private taxi service popular in Delhi and Mumbai, will roll into Calcutta on Wednesday, the third such launch in 22 days. The radio taxi service arrives on the (w)heels of San Francisco-based start-up Uber last month and Bookmycab this month. The three services along with Mega Cabs, operating in the city since 2009, will widen the choice for commuters. Metro presents a list of the private taxi options

MERU CABS

In Calcutta since: To launch on Wednesday

To use service: Download app/call/log into website www.merucabs.com. You can also hail a Meru cab on the road, provided it has not been booked already

Payment: Cash, credit/debit card

Vehicles: New AC cars, some run on green fuel

Drivers: Trained chauffeurs in Meru uniform

Tracking: GPS-enabled real-time cab location finder

Pre-booking: Available

UBER

In Calcutta since: August 19

To use service: They say tap a button and get picked up in minutes. Before that, download their app

Fare: Metered. Drivers carry iPhones that track the distance travelled and the time taken, which are multiplied by the tariff chart to calculate the fare

Rate: Base rate is Rs 40+Re 1/min+Rs 12/km. Minimum fee is Rs 80. Cancellation fee is Rs 80

ETA: 30-45 minutes on average in Calcutta

Payment: Credit card

Vehicles: Maruti Suzuki DZire, Toyota Innova, Tata Indico

Drivers: Trained drivers, Uber prefers owner-drivers

Tracking: Track cab on Google Maps

Pre-booking: No

BOOKMYCAB

In Calcutta since: September 4

To use service: Call 033-41234567 or download their app or log into their website

Fare: Metered and fixed. Point-to point metered fare, fixed fare for airport and rail station transfers plus packages for full/half-day

Rates: Rs 15/km for point-to-point trips (within city limits) in non-ac vehicles. Rs 160 is the minimum fare for the first 8km. Luggage charge of Rs 10 for a “big bag”. Night surcharge of 20 per cent from 10.30 pm to 4.30 am. Cancellation fee of Rs 100, if done within 45 minutes of pick-up time

Rs 20/km for ac vehicles while the minimum fare is Rs 200 for the first 8km

Fixed rates start from Rs 200. Package fares available

ETA: 20 minutes on average

Payment: Cash/mobile wallet/credit or debit cards

Vehicles: Ambassador, Tata Indica for non-ac and Maruti Swift DZire, Tata Indigo, Tata Indica, Tata Manza, Toyota Etios for ac travel

Drivers: Trained drivers

Tracking: One can track the cab once the ride starts

Pre-booking: Yes

MEGA CABS

In Calcutta since: September 2009

To use service: Online/download mobile app/call +91 11 41414141

Fare: Metered

Rates: Day rates Rs 21/km, night surcharge of 20 per cent between 10pm and 5am. Waiting charge of Rs 120/hour

Payment: Cash, credit/debit card

Vehicles: Toyota Etios, Tata Manza, Tata Indigo XL

Drivers: Screened and trained

Tracking: Via GPS

Pre-booking: Available

 

 

The prospect of a chunk of the city's transport going off the roads looms large on Wednesday as Citu has called bus, minibus, taxi and auto operators to a rally from College Square to Esplanade. The rally will start at 3.30pm and is likely to reach Esplanade at 4.30pm. Around 8,000 taxis are expected to stay off the roads for the better part of the day. Buses and autos promise to be on the roads but Citu claims they would also join the protest. Metro draws up a list of what is on and what is off

Taxi

Status on Tuesday: After a meeting with the transport secretary, four non-Left taxi unions that control close to 20,000 taxis decided not to join Wednesday’s rally. This means, they will ferry passengers. They will meet the transport minister on September 18 to discuss their demand for a fare hike. The left-backed unions that claim to control close to 8,000 taxis will go ahead with the rally

Likely scenario on Wednesday: Though four non-Left unions have decided to keep off the rally, many of their affiliates are likely to join. It has happened in the past few taxi strikes. “We may belong to different unions but our demands are similar. The government will have to increase taxi fares,” said a leader of the INTTUC.

The Left unions, led by the CPM’s labour wing Citu, have been demanding withdrawal of police cases against taxi drivers booked for participating in the August 7 rally. The drivers are out on bail. The buses and the autos have been called for a show of solidarity

Bus

Likely scenario: Bus and minibus unions said their vehicles would be on the road. The government has promised to increase the number of vehicles to 1,200 on rally day from 800 on Tuesday.

But the last time Citu had called a taxi strike even Trinamul supporters had joined in. The story on the road could be different if the bus unions do the same

Autorickshaw

Likely scenario: Trinamul controls most of the 65,000 autos in the city. Barring a few routes in the Beleghata area, autos will be available on most routes. Members of the Trinamul Congress have planned to put party flags atop their vehicles on Wednesday. “This is to convey to the commuters that Citu is engaging in disruptive politics while Trinamul is with the common man,” said Mohammad Mohsin, member of the auto union on the MG Road-Kadapara route

 

The Mamata Banerjee government’s decision to forcibly keep transport fares low is pinching commuters hard. Buses that had disappeared because they were unable to sustain losses have returned in a trickle after a token Re 1 fare hike. Taxis have found ways to dupe people to bypass the “low” fares. They fudge meters and refuse passengers. The minimum taxi fare now is Rs 25. Taxi operators want it to be Rs 35. The price of diesel alone has gone up by Rs 14 a litre since the last time the fares were hiked in 2012. Autos are better off because unlike buses and taxis, the government does not regulate fares. The CPM trade union arm has fanned the discontent