BRS seeks ban on Green SM cabs, demands fare regulation for cab drivers

BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar demanded a ban on Green SM Cabs in Telangana, alleging that the Vietnam-based company's low fares were threatening the livelihoods of local cab drivers. He also called for regulated cab fares and criticised the Congress government over employment and recruitment issues.

Hyderabad: BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar demanded that the State government ban Vietnam-based Green SM cabs, alleging that the entry of the company was threatening the livelihoods of nearly six lakh local cab drivers in the State. He also sought introduction of a regulated fare structure for cab services in Telangana.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday, Praveen Kumar accused the Revanth Reddy government of allowing the company to operate in Hyderabad without considering its impact on local drivers. Green SM cabs had been operating in the city for about a month and were charging around Rs 8 per km, making them more attractive to customers, he said.

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Questioning who had granted permission to the company, he said it was operating in the name of partnerships and was not paying GST. He also questioned Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar for failing to prevent its entry.

He said cab drivers should be given a fare card, similar to the one provided to auto drivers, to ensure a level playing field. He raised concerns that the Congress government’s policies pushed lakhs of local drivers into uncertainty.

Drawing a contrast with the previous BRS government, he said several industries had come to Telangana when KT Rama Rao was the IT Minister. He also accused the Congress government of failing to fulfil its promise of providing two lakh jobs annually and instead that it was indulging in alleged irregularities in recruitment through Telangana Overseas Manpower Company (TOMCOM).