Visitors to Bengaluru get unfriendly welcome by auto drivers

BENGALURU: Autorickshaw drivers often crowd areas where long-distance buses drop off travellers. Unfortunately, visitors to the city are not aware of traffic laws that cover autorickshaws. They are then forced to abide by the demands of rickshaw drivers.

Rahul V K, who  was charged Rs 250 from Madiwala to Indiranagar, which is Rs 100 more than the usual fare, said,  “Since we are new here, we don’t want to waste time arguing and agree to pay the price they demand.” Another traveller in the same area, Jacob Alex said, “It is not practical to visit the police station after a long journey to register a complaint against an auto-driver. A helpline would be suitable in such cases.”

A rickshaw driver who wished to be anonymous justified that with rising fuel prices, they had no choice but to charge extra. According to a senior traffic official, raids are conducted regularly and repeated offenders are fined Rs 100 at court. “If that does not work, their licence is suspended,” he said, adding that 10 rickshaw drivers were detained on Saturday for violating traffic rules.

Meanwhile, additional traffic commissioner P Harishekaran said, “I need time to collect data from the transport department and will accordingly plan the next move.”