The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Taxi drivers strike for space at BIA

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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Taxi drivers strike for space at BIA

Staff Reporter

Auto drivers have a field day as passengers shell out exorbitant sums

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Affected: Passengers waiting for taxi at the HAL Airport in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Bangalore: Air travellers had to face some difficulties at the HAL Airport on Wednesday morning as the pre-paid taxi drivers went on a strike demanding place for them even at the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIA).

However, those international travellers who had reached the city before 6 a.m. did not face any problem as the drivers withdrew their vehicles from road only after 6 a.m.

Protest march

All the taxies affiliated to Airport and Bangalore Taxi Drivers’ Union and KSTDC Pre-paid Taxi Drivers union participated in the strike. They also took out a protest march from Yelahanka to the Kumara Krupa Road with the support of the activists of Kannada Rakshana Vedike.

The vedike is demanding naming of the new airport after city’s founder, Kempe Gowda and more number of jobs for Kannadigas and family members of those whose lands were acquired for the airport. They later submitted a memorandum to the Governor.

The strike by the taxi drivers benefited, to certain extent, the autorickshaws as many domestic travellers depended on them. As many as 400 autorickshaws had ferried the air passengers from 7 a.m. to 1.15 p.m. from the autorickshaw stand being monitored by the city traffic police on the airport premises.

Meanwhile, some passengers had to shell out more money as some autorickshaw drivers made hay on a wet day.

While those who boarded autorickshaws from the stand monitored by the police had no problem of bargaining on the fare, those who boarded autorickshaws at other places than this stand had tough time in bargaining as the drivers along with some middlemen were found demanding exorbitant fare.

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