A Gumnam Actress Strips Nude to Protest Auto/taxi Fare Hike

              A Gumnam Actress strips to protest !

  

Steep Price Rise of various commodities and services has adversely affected Indians in general and Mumbaikars in particular. Last stroke is rise in the tariff of Auto and Taxi Fares in Mumbai. Fares have almost increased 20% to the existing level. Mind it, in Mumbai traveling by Auto or by Taxi is not luxury but a necessity as the Government has failed to provide efficient public transport system which may bear load of 0.70 crore plus daily passengers. Everybody felt a pinch but a gumnam actress Reena Sharma has find out slightly different  way to express her anguish by posing nude. You may debate about her way but fact remain that every body is feeling the pinch. 

She was roped up by Mumbai chapter of the Citizens Action Forum - an NGO and Newz88 to do this act against the arbitrary fare hike of auto rickshaws and taxis in Mumbai.  Says Reema, “I was approached by Newz88 to do a bold shoot for an awareness campaign against the large number of tampered fare meters in use by taxis and auto rickshaws in Mumbai. I have absolutely no qualms about posing nude for this shoot as it is a major issue, affecting lakhs of commuters and passengers in Mumbai with a few thousand auto and taxi drivers holding the entire city to ransom with their threats to go on strike.” Reema Sharma has done 3 films in the south and has recently signed on a Tamil film in the main lead. She is also seen in several print and TV commercials.

A Newz88 spokes person says, “According to unofficial yet reliable figures, over 50 per cent of the old mechanical auto rickshaw meters and about 30 per cent of taxi meters are tampered, resulting in highly inflated fares. Auto drivers also use fake tariff cards to con passengers. These practices are completely illegal and commuters are royally fleeced by the rogue drivers who also refuse to ferry passengers over short distances. Many drivers use the older meters which are very unreliable and tend to “jump”. Even the electronic meters in use are not calibrated with the latest fare structure and auto drivers use their own “discretion” to charge customers. The new fare has come into effect from 11^th October, but auto and taxi meters are not calibrated with the new structure. Drivers – most of them who have not yet understood the structure are arbitrarily charging consumers who are being fleeced en masse.

The organizations under reference have planned more such protests against what it terms “arbitrary discretion” of the Transport Authority, State Government and the auto and taxi drivers. It is pitiable that an ordinary citizen has no discretion or say in this matter.

    

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