Meru Cabs halt services in Mumbai

MUMBAI - Services of Meru Cabs, one of the largest private taxi operators in the city, were halted Tuesday as drivers who had been dismissed harassed drivers on duty and passengers, a company official said.

“More than 1,500 drivers were suspended from duty a few months back as their taxis did not meet our quality control standards. While most of them were reinstated after they abided by the rules, 160 drivers were dismissed from duty permanently,” an official said.

He said that the 160 dismissed drivers wanted to be reinstated on their terms and conditions. When the management refused, they started harassing the drivers on duty.

“Some of them harassed passengers also. This was unacceptable,” the official said.

“The management is holding talks with these 160 drivers and trying to resolve the matter amicably. Till then, the services stand halted,” he added.

Meru has a fleet of 1,800 taxis in Mumbai and has employed 1,800 drivers.