Bengaluru: Auto drivers' union to protest against e-bike taxi service

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 24 (ANI): Auto-rickshaw Drivers' Union Federation of Bengaluru with the support of district auto drivers' associations and voluntary groups has called for a protest on December 29 against the State Transport Department for authorising a private company to run the e-bike taxi service in the city.
The state auto drivers' body said that its members have decided to hold a rally 'Vidhana Soudha Chalo' (Legislative House) against e-bike taxi services being launched in Bengaluru and said the service would eat out their business.
As per the federation, the rally will start from KSR Bengaluru city railway station and reach Freedom Park.
While the federation has given assurance that the services won't be affected on December 29, its members asserted that a few vehicles may only operate in the downtown area of Bengaluru.
The private firm was permitted to run e-bike taxi services in the state by the Karnataka Transport Department on December 6, and its tariffs have also been fixed.
The Karnataka Electric Bike Taxi Scheme 2021, established by the state government, was introduced to improve first and last-mile connectivity, promote environmental-friendly transport options and simplify urban mobility. It will now allow the e-bike taxi services to operate.
However, the federation members alleged that private aggregators have already ruined their livelihoods with incentives offered through online bike-taxi service applications. Auto drivers have been demanding to limit the availability of bike taxi services.
M Manjunath of the Adarsha Auto and Taxi drivers' union said, "Such aggregator firms are luring young people with promises and incentives, and ruining their livelihood."
He further said that the Karnataka government moved ahead and legalized bike taxis through the e-bike taxi programme despite repeated protests and objections raised by auto drivers' unions.
"We will intensify protests until the government scraps the plan, and revokes the e-bike taxi license issued to the private firm," he said. (ANI)