Auto stir: City grins & bears it

Auto stir: City grins & bears it
Deccan Herald

The strike caused a lot of inconvenience to patients and their family members in reaching hospitals, schoolchildren, who usually travel by autorickshaws, had to be sent to school through alternative modes of transportation.


Thursday’s dawn-to-dusk autorickshaw strike was a bittersweet experience for Bangaloreans.

Why bitter? With nearly 80,000 autorickshaws keeping off the roads, commuters had to face severe hardships. Travellers arriving at the City’s railway stations and KSRTC bus stands from various parts of the State were forced to walk to the nearest BMTC stands in the absence of autorickshaws.

While the strike caused a lot of inconvenience to patients and their family members in reaching hospitals, schoolchildren, who usually travel by autorickshaws, had to be sent to school through alternative modes of transportation.

Caught unawares

The strike also partially affected the passenger movement at HAL airport. Though many passengers had already made alternative travel arrangements — by hiring private cabs or asking friends and family members for drops and pick-ups — the strike did catch some of them unawares.

Many passengers, who arrived in Bangalore on the morning flights, were seen walking around Airport Road in search of cabs. On the other hand, taxi drivers were busy making hay while the sun shone.

With many commuters opting for taxis, they enjoyed brisk business throughout the day. The State-owned BMTC, taking note of the situation, pressed an additional 250 buses into service in the City. Now for the sweet side of the experience. Motorists, for a change, had an opportunity to enjoy a smooth and unhindered ride in the absence of autorickshaws, which usually slow them down by loitering on the roads. There was a considerable ease in traffic flow in almost all parts of the City.

Motorists indulging in brawls with autorickshaws drivers are a common scene on the busy Bangalore roads. But then, Thursday was an exemption.

Demands

The autorickshaw drivers resorted to the strike to protest against the new clauses included in the Vehicle Permit Conditions (VPC) by the Road Transport Authority (RTA) in Bangalore recently. The RTA has been strictly implementing the new rules, taking stringent action against violators.

The clauses also prescribe a fine, ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000, and one-year imprisonment for violators. The autorickshaw drivers are also against following the lane system on City roads.

‘Harsh and illogical’

“We vehemently oppose the new rules, which are harsh, illogical and unscientific. How can anybody impose a fine of Rs 2,000 on an autorickshaw driver, who earns just Rs 100 a day?” asked S Jayaram, president of the autorickshaw drivers’ wing of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike. He further argued that it is difficult to follow the no-parking and lane system as drivers have to drop commuters wherever they want. “One cannot force people to always come to the designated autorickshaw stand. Then there will be no point in plying them,” he stated.

Deadline

Mr Jayaram said that a 15-day deadline has been fixed for the Transport Department to withdraw the new rules.

If not, the union members would intensify the protest, he warned.

What the new clauses say

*Park at designated places in queue.

*Don’t take a third party.

*Don’t demand excess fare.

*Use only recommended fuel or LPG kit.

*Don’t refuse customer without valid reason.

*Take the shortest route.