Soon after the protest of Bengaluru autorickshaw drivers was started early on Monday morning, city police took action against the protesting rickshaw drivers. Scenes of autorickshaw drivers being detained by the police amid the protest have surfaced all over the internet.
Autorickshaw drivers in Bengaluru, announced going on strike to protest against private bike taxi aggregators operating in the city. The Adarsh Auto and Taxi Drivers' Union, which has one of the largest memberships of autorickshaw drivers in Karnataka's state capital, said that over two lakh autorickshaws will stay off the roads from Sunday midnight to Monday midnight.
The union's president, M Manjunath, said that the strike is also in protest against the illegal operation of bike taxis on the city's roads. He claimed that although the state transport department views bike taxis as illegal, drivers are still operating with impunity.
21 autorickshaw drivers' associations have joined the protest
Manjunath also stated that 21 autorickshaw drivers' associations have come together to protest against bike taxis, which are competing for space on the city's roads to gain customers. He further mentioned that the bike taxis do not have the necessary permits and licenses to operate in the city, yet they continue to operate, causing a significant loss of income for autorickshaw drivers.
Autorickshaw drivers and bike taxis have been competing for space on Bengaluru's roads to gain customers. Bike taxis have gained popularity due to their affordability and convenience. However, autorickshaw drivers argue that bike taxis are operating illegally and are not subject to the same regulations and requirements that autorickshaws have to follow.
Karnataka govt introduced bike taxis policy in 2016
The Karnataka government had previously attempted to regulate bike taxis by introducing a policy in 2016 that allowed bike taxis to operate under certain conditions, including the need for permits and driver licenses. However, the policy was not implemented due to opposition from autorickshaw drivers' unions and other groups.
In recent years, several bike taxi aggregators have emerged in Bengaluru, including Rapido, Ola Bike, and Uber Moto. These companies have faced opposition from autorickshaw drivers' unions, who have accused them of operating illegally and not following the same regulations as autorickshaws.
