Kalyan: Rickshaw drivers staged a one-day sit-in protest at the Sub-Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Umbarde, Kalyan West, on September 30, pressing for a review of fares and cancellation of permission for Rapido e-bike taxis.

The protest was organised by the Konkan Region Rickshaw Taxi Federation and the Rickshaw Driver-Owner Association, Kalyan City. Rickshaw drivers and office-bearers from Titwala, Mohone, Ambivali, Murbad, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Badlapur and Kalyan-Dombivli participated in the demonstration.

The protesters demanded that the existing fare structure be reconsidered, seeking a fare of Rs 30 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 20 for every subsequent kilometre. They also demanded cancellation of permission granted to Rapido e-bike taxis for passenger transport and strict action against illegal passenger vehicles.

Other demands included regulation of charges for CNG cylinder testing and implementation of government-approved rates for recalibration of auto-rickshaw meters.

Federation president Pranav Penkar, along with office-bearers Avinash Khilare, Manohar Sase, Ankush Mhatre, Santosh Navale, Jitendra Pawar and Shekhar Joshi, participated in the protest.

Penkar and other representatives urged the transport authorities to "immediately consider the demands of rickshaw drivers" and forward positive recommendations to the state government and relevant authorities.

The federation warned that failure to address the demands could lead to intensified protests, including an indefinite rickshaw strike and mass leave protests across the Konkan region and MMRDA areas.