Auto strike from 6 am to midnight

Bangalore: Around 1.5 lakh auto­ric­kshaws will go off the road today between 6 am and midnight. Auto drivers are protesting against a proposal to ban autos from the Central Busi­ness District (CBD).
State-owned oil companies increased auto LPG prices from Rs 54.40 to Rs 65.50 per litre. Auto drivers want the state and central governme­nts to reduce local tax­es, including VAT, to reduce the rate.

Auto drivers will also pressure the government to direct the city traffic police and transport departments to scr­ap the proposal to rep­lace autos with taxies in CBD. The other major demands include housing, health sche­mes and financial assistance to auto drivers to replace their old veh­­i­cles.

The auto unions in the city which are affiliated to various associations have formed a joint action committee to ensure the success of the strike. An office-bea­rer of the committee said that initially there was no proposal to go on a strike.

“But with most of the association members urging for a strike to pressurise the state and central governments, it was decided to take autos off the road on Monday,” he said.

Somashekhar, pr­e­­­si­­­dent, Bangalore Au­to Drivers’ Union, said that the main dem­and of auto drivers is red­uction in various taxes levied on auto LPG from central and state governments. “On Jan­uary 1, the auto LPG price was incr­eased by Rs 11 in one go.

We are bleeding now. We cannot dem­and revision of fare as the state government notified new fares on December 28 and further increase in the fare will lead to public protest. We want remedial measures from the state and central governments,” he said.