The Observer Volume 18, Issue 28

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The Observer An IIJNM Publication

Vol 18 Issue 28

Youngsters confused over NOTA vote, fear it may be ignored or considered as a waste vote | P2

Tuesday, April 09, 2019

Renovation plans by BBMP will hit our sales, say KR Market meat sellers | P4

Jet Airways problems spell big trouble for passengers Alternatives to cancelled flights are costlier

Pranay Prakash

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acing a financial turmoil, debt-ridden Jet Airways cancelled more than 300 flights in February and March. Lessors have grounded its planes, leaving thousands of flyers fuming. Jet plans to withdraw 138 daily flights between March and October 2019, information on the airline’s website says. Frequent flyers who had made advance bookings with the carrier have had to cancel their tickets. They now face the prospect of buying costly tickets.

Frequent flyers who had made advance bookings with the carrier have had to cancel their tickets | Credit: Tanmay Tiwary Abhishek Dwivedi, a technical consultant with Hugo Boss Ticino SA in Bengaluru who flies frequently on domestic routes, informed The Observer: “Flight cancellations have forced me to change my plans till the end of April. I had two tickets from Jet

ELECTION THEATRE Post-poll alliance possible: Mamta West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has hinted at the possibility of a postpoll alliance. Speaking at a rally in Raiganj, she said: “In every state, alliances have been formed to oust Modi... Once he is voted out of power all of us can work together to build a new India. SC refuses to stay Modi biopic release Refusing to stay the release of Vivek Oberoi starrer biopic on Narendra Modi, the SC said the plea is a ‘non issue.’ The

court refused to consider the petitioners’ plea which alleged the film is ‘blatant propaganda’ masquerading as a work of art in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Modi is scared of debate, says Rahul Inviting PM Modi for a debate on corruption, INC chief Gandhi on Tuesday said the PM can have an ‘open book’ debate if he is scared. Rahul has repeatedly challenged Modi for a debate on national security and the Rafale scam. BJP leaders scoffed at the idea, calling Rahul an “ignorant politician”.

Airways which I had to reschedule. Ticket prices are still high, and there are very few seats left.” Jet has announced the cancellation of 209 to and fro flights between Mumbai and London. A like number of flights have been cancelled from Bengaluru

to Thiruvananthapuram. Dilip Kumar Das, country manager, north region, for a multinational company in New Delhi, said: “I travel frequently to North, East and Central India. Frequent cancellations by Jet and IndiGo have caused a lot of problems in creating an itinerary. Even the price of tickets has gone up across airlines due to Jet’s reduced fleet.” “Although Jet has announced flight cancellations till October, it remains to be seen if it can survive. It recently defaulted on payments to its lenders according to news reports, which might force the airline to ground its own aeroplanes. It has already grounded most of its leased flights,” Das added. Continued on Page 4

News Briefs National lAs the nation gears up for the first round of the Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP and its NDA seem to enjoy a distinct advantage over its opponents. The CSDS-Lok niti Pre Election Survey, indicates that the national mood appears to be to give the ruling party/alliance a second term. lThe Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday presented two radar images of the engagement with Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on February 27 to prove that a Pakistani F-16 was shot down by a MiG-21 piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Local lInternational U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen resigned on Sunday evening after U.S. President Donald Trump had, according to reports, requested her resignation. US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan will assume charge after April 10.

Let’s have Pink Cabs across city: drivers Favour lower fares and high frequency Ileena Dutta

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omen taxi drivers want to make Go Pink Cabs available all across Bengaluru at lower prices to ensure safety to female commuters who travel by cabs. “Pink Cabs are doing well in the airport sector. It would be better if these are made available in other parts of the city where we women drivers can take care of the safety

of female commuters,” said Aapti S., a temporary Pink Cab driver. The women-run taxi service was started by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corp and Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL). “The initiative taken by BIAL will help downtrodden women in villages to earn their own living and grow independently in society. I want this service to be appreciated by women in every part of the city. I hope we can take the Pink Cab service to the city,” said Marium Beg, a Pink Cab driver. Aarti K., another driver, said: “It is not safe for women to commute

in cabs with male drivers. Sometimes it can be risky. The women drivers of Pink Cabs ensure that female passengers travel safe at all times. The GPS tracking and SOS features that are in-built are very useful. The entire city needs to have Pink Cabs services at lower prices and high frequency for women.” Pink Cabs, which run 24/7, are priced at Rs 21.50 per km during the day and at Rs 23.50 per km at night. A Logical Indian report says Pink Cabs is recruiting from villages around KIA to provide women a chance to become selfsustainable. ileena.d@iijnm.org


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