Bengaluru Auto Strike: Over 2 Lakh Rickshaw Drivers Protest Against Rapido Bike Taxi Service

Monday morning blues turned red for Bengaluru commuters today, who rely on auto-rickshaws. As the Bangalore Auto Drivers Unions’ Federation is protesting a strike to seek a ban on the bike-hailing mobile application - Rapido. The auto driver union is demanding a complete ban against whiteboard taxi service, which it says is eating into its consumer base. Manjunath, President of Adarsh Union Auto Drivers Association stated that 21 auto organisations are participating. "2.10 lakh auto drivers are participating in the protest. The protest march is going to begin at the city railway station and we are planning to lay siege to the residence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai," he stated.

Auto drivers have expressed their ire over the Rapido bike taxi service which has badly hit them. The bandh will be observed till midnight on Monday and the people who are depending on auto services would be severely hit in Bengaluru.

The auto driver unions in #Bengaluru are staging a protest urging government to prohibit the whiteboard bike taxi services. Manjunath, President of Adarsh Union Auto Drivers Association stated that 21 auto organisations are participating. pic.twitter.com/FiOv1CCeqa — IANS (@ians_india) March 20, 2023

The auto unions had given a three-day deadline for prohibiting bike taxi service to the government. Since the ruling BJP government has not bothered to respond to them, they are staging a protest, explained auto drivers.

The autorickshaw drivers will also take out a march from Bengaluru City Railway Station to the Chief Minister's House. While a 24-hour-long bandh is announced, Manjunath has further claimed that 21 autorickshaw drivers’ have joined hands to stand together in this agitation against bike taxis.

Strict action should be taken against this auto driver under the law.
Is there no such thing as law in Bangalore City?@BlrCityPolice @BlrCityPolice @CPBlr @tv9kannada pic.twitter.com/Uaa4Am9OPV — freedom of speech B,lore (@freedomlore1) March 5, 2023

Recently, a video had gone viral of an autorickshaw driver smashing a bike taxi driver's mobile phone at a major intersection in the city over the alleged illegal use of such services.