Autorickshaw services are likely to be affected in Bengaluru on Monday due to a 24-hour strike called by 20 auto drivers’ unions, under the banner of Bangalore Auto Drivers Unions’ Federation to protest against the “illegal” bike and whiteboard taxis operation in the city.
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The union has for long been demanding a ban on bike taxis, which it says threaten the livelihoods of autorickshaw drivers. As part of the protest, the auto drivers will carry out a march at the Majestic bus stand. The union will also carry out a rally around 11am from the city railway station to chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s official residence on race course road. According to the union, the strike is expected to keep a sizeable number of autorickshaws off the roads.
“By not taking any action against the illegal Rapido services, the government has miserably failed to safeguard the interest of the auto drivers. The bike taxi services have destroyed the livelihoods of auto drivers. Despite multiple appeals to initiate action against such services, the government has done nothing,” M Manjunath, the convener of the federation, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
“The bike taxi service is also exploiting youngsters by deceiving them with incentives. The app illegally on-boards college students.”
The union has urged the state government to ban the use of bike taxi services provided by mobile app-based aggregators in the city. Drivers claim that aggregators are luring young people to use their “illegal” bike taxi services by putting whiteboards on two-wheelers (intended for personal use) without obtaining any license from the transport department.
