Kolkata: 24-hour taxi strike from midnight

Kolkata: More than half of Kolkata's taxis will be off the roads on Thursday. That's because the Bengal Taxi Association, which controls about 20,000 out of the 34,000 taxis that ply in and around Kolkata, has called for a 24-hour strike beginning at midnight. The association is demanding a hike of Rs 6 over existing fares to offset the hike in diesel prices.

The association had called for an indefinite strike, but in a meeting with the transport minister in Kolkata on Wednesday, it softened its stance. Now the state government has till July 30 to accept their demands.

Today's strike has been called to protest the delay in the government's decision on the fare hike.