Auto drivers stage 24-hr strike in M'luru

Demanding revision of auto fares, autorickshaw drivers and owners in Mangaluru staged a 24-hour strike, starting from Tuesday midnight. As a result, all the autorickshaws remained off the road in Mangaluru on Wednesday.

The auto drivers said that the existing fare was insufficient as the prices of all the essential commodities had increased. The Dakshina Kannada Regional Transport Authority had revised the basic auto fare to Rs 23 (for 1.5 km) and there after Rs 13 per km on March 1, following steep reduction in the cost of fuel.

The Federation of Karnataka Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Union, had also extended its support to the strike.

Federation’s Mangaluru president Mohammed Ansar said that there had been steep increase in the prices of essential commodities and petroleum products. “We had asked the RTA to revise the fare to Rs 25 per 1.5 km, two years ago. On the pretext of decline in the fuel price, the fare was not revised. The demand for Rs 25 minimum fare and Rs 14 per km fare is justified,” he added.

Addressing the protesting auto drivers, Autorickshaw Drivers Federation district president Sunil Kumar Bajal said that the deputy commissioner had reduced the auto fare to Rs 23 when the prices of fuel were reduced. However, no attempt was made to revise the fare when the prices of the petroleum products increased. He said that the protest would be intensified if the district administration failed to revise the fare. Horata Samithi president Yadav Maroli said that the autorickshaw drivers did not have any social security.