Costliest taxi, auto rides ever in City

Costliest taxi, auto rides ever in City
Deccan Herald

Chaos reigned at all major bus terminals and railway stations, with paralysed public transport, rumours of violence and lack of information worsening the situation, on Thursday. ...

Chaos reigned at all major bus terminals and railway stations, with paralysed public transport, rumours of violence and lack of information worsening the situation, on Thursday.

Even as several passengers were stranded at the City railway station, KSRTC bus stops and the airport, auto and taxi drivers had a field day fleecing the public. An eight-km ride cost Rs 300-400 by auto, Rs 2,000 and above by taxi. The pre-paid auto counters at these transit points were closed for the day.

Sandeep, who landed at the airport at 11 am, could not get a single taxi that would charge the regular fare.

“The taxi driver said that the situation was tense in the city and he has to risk his life to take me. Even though I knew his fare was atrocious, I had no choice. I bargained it down to Rs 900 to reach Austin Town,” he said.

Meanwhile, Archana and her two children stood helplessly at the City Railway Station, unable to decide their next course of action. “I heard there was violence at Hudson Circle. I have to go to Lalbagh area, but I don’t know if it is safe. I have been waiting here for an hour,” the hapless mother said.

With bus services temporarily suspended to Mysore and other neighbouring cities, a long queue wound at the railway station with passengers hoping to travel at least in the unreserved compartment.

Cancellations galore

Hundreds queued up at the reservation counter at the Kempe Gowda bus terminus at Majestic to cancel their tickets, as reports of mob violence kept trickling in from different parts of the City. The passengers, most of them Kerala and Tamil Nadu-bound for Vishu and Tamil New Year, had to cancel their trip due to fear of violence or stoppages en route.

“We’ve been told that the services to Kerala would resume after 6 pm. However, we are not taking a risk and are cancelling the tickets,” said a passenger who had planned an extended weekend in Kochi.

Meanwhile, the BMTC bus service that was sporadic in the morning, stopped completely by afternoon following violence. Services were resumed on some routes in the evening.

No fuel

Almost all petrol pumps were closed on Thursday and several vehicle users were stranded on the roads with empty tanks. A few on the city’s outskirts kept it open for a few hours on Thursday morning, but were forced to close later.