Bengaluru transporters threaten to go on strike on September 11

Private transporters, including autorickshaws, taxis, cabs, and school buses in Bengaluru, have threatened to go on strike on September 11.

Private transporters, including autorickshaws, taxis, cabs, and school buses, in Bengaluru have threatened to go on strike on September 11.

While the impact of the strike is yet to be seen, previous strike calls triggered a poor response and did not affect life in the city.

S Nataraj Sharma of the Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Association said they are being forced to go on strike since their demands have not been met. "We had deferred the strike to July 27 after Karnataka transport minister Ramalinga Reddy told us that he would look into our demands, but nothing has been fulfilled."

Also, read: Karnataka transporters call off strike after minister's assurance; set August 10 deadline for fulfilling demands

Speaking to reporters, members of 32 transport unions said they have been impacted by the Shakti scheme, a free bus travel scheme for women in Karnataka. They also demanded a ban on bike taxis as well as financial aid of Rs 10,000 each for drivers. Other demands include the establishment of a corporation to support unorganised commercial drivers, low-interest loans, prevention of white-board vehicles from ferrying passengers, scholarships for children of drivers, a ban on app-based aggregators, including private buses under the Shakti scheme, and action against finance companies harassing drivers.

The Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association, which had staged a protest in front of the Shantinagar RTO on August 31 against the imposition of a decision to collect a lifetime tax, has withdrawn its agitation. The state government has also issued an order stating that the existing system of paying road tax quarterly will continue.