The proposed three-day strike by app-based online taxi drivers at the Raja Bhoj Airport (Bhopal Airport), scheduled for June 23, 24, and 25, has been abruptly postponed. The Bhopal Taxi Driver Union, affiliated with the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, called off the protest after local authorities revoked their demonstration permits at the eleventh hour.

The district administration and the Gandhi Nagar police station denied permission for the sit-in protest near the airport zone, citing mandatory security protocols and a scheduled VVIP movement in the city. The sudden suspension of the strike has averted a major transit crisis that would have otherwise stranded thousands of air passengers across the state capital.

Mass Relief for Daily Commuters

The postponement brings significant relief to airline passengers traveling to and from Bhopal. Recent aviation metrics indicate a sharp increase in passenger volume at the airport. According to official data from April 2026, the airport recorded 138,060 passengers in a single month, translating to an average of over 4,500 travelers per day.

Currently, the airport operates roughly 34 to 36 scheduled flights daily. The Bhopal-Delhi sector remains the busiest corridor with 6 to 7 daily flights, followed by Mumbai with 4 flights, Bengaluru and Hyderabad with 2 each, and single daily flights connecting Raipur, Pune, and Ahmedabad. A complete shutdown of aggregator services like Ola and Uber would have severely crippled city-wide airport connectivity.

'An Attempt to Suppress the Voices of Poor Drivers'

Expressing sharp discontent over the administration's decision, union leaders labeled the move as high-handed. They argued that the cancellation was a deliberate attempt to stifle the legitimate grievances of the driving community. The union clarified that their approach has always remained strictly within legal parameters, emphasizing that they intended to protest constitutionally rather than cause public anarchy.

"We have consistently adhered to the rule of law. Since the administrative clearance was denied, we are delaying the strike, but this does not mean we are backing down. The union will reapply for permission very soon, and we will launch an even more intense agitation against the aggregator companies." — Rajesh Kumar Nagle, General Secretary, Bhopal Taxi Driver Union

Tariff Discrepancies Fueling the Dispute

The primary bone of contention between the cab drivers and the app-based aggregator giants centers around the implementation of government-mandated baseline tariffs. The union alleges that these tech companies exploit legislative loopholes to pay drivers significantly lower rates than the official prices fixed by the state transport department. Drivers maintain that strict enforcement of the government-approved minimum fare is the only sustainable solution to safeguard their livelihoods against rising inflation and fuel costs.

This is not the first instance of labor unrest brewing against tech aggregators in the city. Earlier, on February 7 and June 12, drivers staged symbolic sit-ins at the Board Office Square to submit memorandums to the government. Frustrated by the lack of administrative intervention, a large group of drivers staged a unique protest last Friday, wearing tattered clothes and holding begging bowls to symbolize their financial distress. The union has now warned that if the government fails to mediate effectively, they will expand their agitation to completely halt both taxi and auto-rickshaw services across the entire city.

President Droupadi Murmu concludes Himachal visit, departs for Delhi from Shimla

President Droupadi Murmu wrapped up her five-day Himachal Pradesh visit on Friday, departing for the national capital after attending a final engagement at ARTRAC.

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday concluded her five-day official retreat to Himachal Pradesh and flew back to Delhi from the Annadale helipad. Before her departure, the President visited the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) in Shimla to attend a scheduled military program, marking the final leg of her stay in the hill state.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh were among the high-profile dignitaries present at Annadale to see off the President. Despite overcast skies early in the morning, the weather cleared up by midday, allowing the presidential flight to take off around 12:00 PM.

ARTRAC visit precedes departure

On Friday morning, President Murmu traveled from the Presidential Retreat in Chharabra to the ARTRAC headquarters. During her visit, she interacted with senior military officers and was briefed on various training modules. The Governor and top Army officials accompanied her during the ceremony, which emphasized the strategic importance of the Shimla-based command in the Indian Army’s training ecosystem.

Weather disrupts planned tours

While the visit was scheduled to include several high-altitude stops, inclement weather played spoilsport over the last few days. The President’s proposed trips to the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang, Sissu in Lahaul, and the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University in Palampur had to be called off. Officials confirmed that persistent clouds and poor visibility in the higher reaches made the aerial journey to these locations unfeasible.

Commuters face traffic snarls

The President's movement from Chharabra to Shimla city caused significant disruptions for local residents and tourists. Traffic was halted for nearly 45 minutes starting at 9:00 AM to ensure a clear passage for the VVIP convoy. Large queues of vehicles were seen at Sanjauli, Dhalli, and Navbahar.

Commuters traveling from Upper Shimla were held up at Chharabra, while those coming from Sunni and Karsog were stopped at the Mashobra bifurcation. Although the police worked to restore flow immediately after the convoy passed, the morning rush hour saw hundreds of office-goers and school buses stranded in long jams.

The tradition of 'The Retreat'

The President had been staying at 'The Retreat' in Chharabra, located about 13 kilometers from Shimla, since Monday. It is a long-standing tradition for the President of India to visit this colonial-era wooden building during the summer months to conduct official business from the hills. This year’s visit focused on academic and military engagements, though the local sight-seeing remained limited due to the Western Disturbance affecting the region.

Security and administrative arrangements

The Himachal Pradesh administration had deployed over 1,500 personnel to manage security and logistics during the five-day stay. With the President now back in Delhi, the heavy barricading at Sanjauli and Chharabra has been removed, and normal traffic movement has resumed across the capital's arterial roads.