BENGALURU: Private transporters have called for a Bengaluru bandh on September 11 and said autorickshaws, taxis, airport taxis, maxi cabs, school buses, factory vehicles and other stage carriages will remain off the roads on that day.
Also, members of 32 transport unions will block major roads like Mysuru Road, Electronics City, KR Puram and Nelamangala roads to press for fulfilment of their demands.
The autorickshaw and taxi unions have claimed that they have been affected by the Shakti free travel scheme for women and have demanded monthly aid of Rs 10,000 each for drivers apart from a ban on Rapido bike taxis.
They have also want a corporation set up for the benefit of unorganised commercial drivers and transport development, loans at low interest for drivers, preventing private registered vehicles from ferrying passengers, scholarships for children of drivers, ban on app-based aggregators like Ola and Uber, enlisting private buses under Shakti scheme, action against finance companies which seize vehicles unauthorizedly, among others.
Private bus operators’ union leader Nataraj Sharma alleged, “A Transport Department officer by the name Nataraj Kumar is collecting commission. In the coming days, I will lodge a complaint with the Lokayukta along with documents”.
Further, he said, “We have appealed to all organisations to support the Bengaluru bandh call. If they do not cooperate, anything may happen and we will not be responsible for it”.
Bengaluru Auto Sene president Suma said autorickshaws will not be available on September 11. “If any autos are found running, we will puncture the tyres. All should support the bandh”, she said. Peace Auto leader Raghu also spoke.
Truckers call off protest
Meanwhile, the Federation Of Karnataka State Lorry Owners And Agents Association, which had staged a protest in front of the Shantinagar RTO against the imposition of lifetime tax has withdrawn its agitation.
The association members staged a protest on Thursday by parking over 250 trucks on KH Double Road against imposition of lifetime tax for commercial vehicles after the expiry of the August 31 deadline.
The protest was called off after a meeting with Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy who assured the association members of discussing the issue. He said the existing system of paying quarterly road tax will continue up to the yearend and asked them to pay up the pending taxes in one or two days.