Auto-rickshaw services may be affected in central Bengaluru during the morning peak hour on Thursday as thousands of drivers will march from the Sangolli Rayanna Circle to Freedom Park to demand a ban on bike taxis.
The Bangalore Auto Drivers Unions’ Federation, which represents 16 auto drivers’ unions, has also planned to take out a march to the Vidhana Soudha. However, the police haven’t given permission.
Around 3,000 auto drivers are expected to participate in the march, which will culminate with a demonstration at Freedom Park if the police stop them from proceeding to the Vidhana Soudha.
Auto drivers want the government to ban the use of personal two-wheelers (with whiteboard number plates) as bike taxis and withdraw permission for electric bike taxis given under the Electric Bike Taxi Scheme, said C Sampath, general secretary of the Adarsh Auto Drivers’ Union.
‘Not a strike, but just a march’
D Rudramurthy of the Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union clarified that it was not a strike but a march. He stressed that auto services in the city would remain “largely” unaffected, except for some parts of the Central Business District (CBD).
Bengaluru has 1.45 lakh licensed auto-rickshaws and another 25,000 unlicensed ones.