Commuters to suffer as auto drivers strike on March 20 against bike taxis

Your daily commute will likely be disrupted on Monday as Bengaluru auto-rickshaw drivers are going on strike.

Garbage collection and transportation may also be slightly affected as the BBMP Pourakarmika Sangha has called a protest.

A majority of the city’s 2.1 lakh auto-rickshaws will stay off the roads as a federation of 21 drivers’ unions has called a day-long strike to push for a ban on bike taxis.

The strikes are the latest in a series of work absenteeism announced by government employees and emergency services workers.

State government employees withdrew their strike recently after the chief minister announced a 17% pay rise for them. Road transport corporation (RTC) workers similarly called off their strike after the government’s promise of a 15% hike with effect from January 1, 2020.

However, the strike by auto drivers could really hit citizens hard.

“For months now, we have been petitioning the government about bike taxis but it has been indifferent,” M Manjunath, president of the Bengaluru Auto Drivers’ Unions’ Federation, told DH.

Auto drivers feel bike taxis have threatened their livelihoods. Manjunath claimed their earnings had been hit by a whopping 60%. “People prefer bike taxis for short commutes and cabs for long-distance intra-city travel. We have been left in the lurch,” he said.

Auto drivers have two grievances: the government should ban the use of personal two-wheelers (whiteboard number plates) as bike taxis and withdraw permission for e-bike taxis.

In December 2022, the Transport Department issued licences to two companies — Bounce and Blu Smart — for operating e-bike taxis under the Electric Bike Taxi Scheme, which was introduced in 2021.

The use of personal two-wheelers as bike taxis is another sore point. While rules do not allow personal vehicles to be used as bike taxis, the High Court of Karnataka has restrained the government from taking any coercive action against bike taxi firms such as Rapido.

Manjunath said that auto drivers had to follow so many rules to make passengers’ journeys safe and comfortable but bike taxis had none of it.

C Sampath, General Secretary of Adarsha Auto and Taxi Drivers’ Union, is confident that up to 85% of the auto drivers would participate in the strike. Auto drivers ferrying schoolchildren may skip the strike, he added.

About 10,000 auto drivers will also try to march from Majestic to the chief minister’s official residence on Race Course Road, Manjunath said. He hoped that the chief minister would address their concerns. A decision on continuing the strike will be taken on Monday evening, he added.

The protest by the BBMP Pourakarmika Sangha is unlikely to affect waste collection and transportation significantly. The protest is for the direct recruitment of drivers and loaders responsible for the door-to-door collection of waste.

An association of garbage contractors said they would collect waste without any issues.

Bike taxi drivers protest

On Sunday, bike taxi drivers protested at Freedom Park demanding that the government protect them from attacks by auto drivers.

In early March, an auto driver smashed a Rapido taxi driver’s helmet near the Indiranagar metro station to protest bike taxis.

Rapido has condemned the “dastardly assault”.

“Rapido has and will always stand by its captains and will do whatever is required to protect and support them,” it said. It asked its customers and captains to report such incidents to its customer support.