Jam it! Fed up Mumbaikers boycott public vehicles today

"Many commuters still stand in queues today trying to pursue taxi/rickshaw owners to take them to their destination. If that weren’t enough, they also need to put up with their unruly behaviour, tampered meters and fake meter cards. Tired with auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers’ dadagiri, showing their unwillingness to take passengers for a small distance and meter cheating, a movement Meter Jam was formed by us -- Mumbaikars.

The campaign website says, "We're tired of meters that always read more than it should, drivers who refuse to ply and demand return fare at their whims. And if all that wasn't enough, now we have to deal with strikes too, any time the 'unions' decide! Everyone is holding the janata to ransom. How much more will we pay? It's time to turn the tables...We decided to answer back with non-cooperation movement on August 12 2010. And we appeal to all Mumbaikars to ditch autos and taxis and bring their meter to a halt for a day."

The Times of India reports that taxi drivers don't expect to feel affected in the least, "partly assured by union leader M L Quadros, who has claimed that even if 50,000 residents join the boycott it would not affect business."

"It only means we will have fewer people to turn down," says G Pandey who plies his auto in Andheri.

But makers of India’s first iPhone 3D racing game, "The Sealink" want to do the opposite of turning people down. They're offering the game for free download on iPhones from August 12 to 15, 2010 in support of Meter Jam and Independence Day. The Sealink game was ranked third in the games category and seventh overall in the Indian Apple Appstore and is regularly priced at USD $0.99. Download here.

Follow the Meter Jam movement on Facebook.