Fed up citizens take on auto drivers

Fed up citizens take on auto drivers

M.T. Shiva Kumar
Bangaloreans join nationwide online campaign to boycott three-wheelers on Thursday
— File Photo: K. Murali Kumar

enough is enough:The online campaign called Meterjam is requesting people to use BMTC buses on Thursday.
Bangalore: Students and young professionals in the city, fed up with badly-behaved auto drivers, have decided to boycott the three-wheelers on Thursday.

The youngsters have joined hands against the auto drivers who refuse to ply and demand extortionary fares. They are joining the online campaign “Say No to Autos and Taxis on August 12”, also called as “Meterjam”, and are requesting people to use the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses instead.

Meterjam.com, that has been fighting against the alleged harassment by the auto and taxi drivers in various parts of the country, is organising the campaign. “Say no to auto and taxis drivers on August 12, because they say “No” to you whenever they want”, says the website, which came into existence on July 19.

Until Monday, about 11,900 people had “liked” the campaign on Facebook. “Auto drivers are demanding a higher fare. They harass women, children and elders. They never want to pick passengers from pre-paid auto counters. They assault passengers if they raise a voice against their atrocities,” the campaign says. “Passengers are tired of auto meters that always read more than they should. And as if all that wasn't enough, we now have to deal with strikes, too,” the campaign promoters say.

Bus routes

The campaigners have also provided information on the BMTC bus routes to various locations to help people commute hassle-free on Thursday.

Nikita on Facebook says: “I wish I could boycott them for all 365 days… Hope Metro brings some relief!!!”

Auto Drivers Organisations United Struggle Committee convener B.V. Raghavendra told The Hindu: “Auto driver should treat passengers as god. They should not harass them. Unfortunately, some drivers are indulging in such activities. Recently, an auto driver demanded double fare from me. The association has been trying to create awareness among the drivers. The association had already distributed about one lakh pamphlets to the drivers and requested them not to harass passengers and obey rules.”