Mumbai Police Book 11 Cab Drivers Over Airport Parking Blockade

Sahar police have registered a first information report against 11 aggregator cab drivers after they blocked an entry ramp to the parking area at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Wednesday morning. The blockade brought vehicle movement to a halt for approximately 30 minutes.

Police detained the drivers and impounded their vehicles following the incident, which occurred around 8:30 am. The vehicle details have been forwarded to the Regional Transport Office to initiate further action, which sources indicated could include the suspension of permits.

According to the police, the drivers abandoned their vehicles in the parking section, obstructing the entry ramp that connects P/5 to P/4 and P/5 to P/6 parking zones at the international airport. The disruption lasted for half an hour until officials removed the stranded cabs and restored traffic flow.

Investigators said the drivers staged the protest because they were unhappy with aggregator service providers charging higher fares for newly introduced premium cabs booked by VIP passengers. The 11 drivers have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for wrongful confinement and common intention.

Police noted that the Shramik Utpanna Sabha, also known as the Workers’ Income Association, had placed banners across the airport authority premises announcing an indefinite strike by cab drivers and owners against app-based aggregators Ola, Uber, and Rapido.

A police officer stated that the protesting drivers have demanded the permanent shutdown of Uber Green and Uber Black services at the airport. They have also called for fare structures to strictly follow RTO regulations and insisted that aggregator applications should only offer three standard vehicle categories: mini, sedan, and SUV.