Karnataka - Bangalore   

Most autos go off city roads

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, FEB. 24. Many branches of nationalised banks and insurance companies were closed, many others reported thin attendance. Most autorickshaws were off the roads. Delivery sections of post offices worked only partially. The State Government offices functioned as usual with many workers symbolically wearing black badges. This was the scene on General Strike Day in Bangalore.

Autorickshaw drivers were on strike for a different reason. Regular commuters had a tough time finding an autorickshaw as a majority of the three-wheelers stayed off the roads. The dawn-to-dusk autorickshaw strike was called by the Autorickshaw Drivers' Union in protest against the Government's threat to cancel permits from March 1, if the drivers did not install LPG kits by February 29. The response was almost total in the city and its business districts. However, some autorickshaws plied as usual on the outskirts of the city. A union leader, Puttalingaiah, said the strike was a success with 99 per cent of the 75,000 registered autorickshaws remaining off the roads. About 300 drivers took out a procession from Mysore Bank Circle and submitted a memorandum to the District Deputy Commissioner, listing the union's demands and grievances.

Many road-users were, however, happy that the streets were less polluted today. The State Pollution Control Board officials confirmed that the pollution rate was considerably lower than usual in the city.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operated additional buses to meet the demand. The buses were more crowded than usual. Some autorickshaw drivers who dared to take their vehicles out tried to compensate the risk by demanding excess fare. The passengers could not complain. With hardly any three-wheelers, most city roads wore a deserted look.

The Police Commissioner, S. Mariswamy, said, "The city was peaceful."

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