Auto drivers at Baguiati continue to stay off the road for fourth day

KOLKATA: On a day when majority of app cabs were off the road, office and school goers on VIP Road had a dreadful day as auto rickshaws along the road between Baguiati and Ultadanga remained suspended for the fourth day in a row.
“This is extremely harassing for any commuter. I had an important meeting to attend on Monday morning but couldn’t turn up on time. The app cabs kept getting cancelled and on the road, the autos too were on strike. I tried to hop on buses, but they were too crowded to even set foot on. Finally, I could get a yellow taxi who charged me three times the usual fare for a trip till my office at Esplanade,” said Avishek Roy, a resident of Baguiati.
The trouble was aggravated because of an hour long smart shower in the morning peak hour that even made it difficult for daily commuters to wait on the road and squeeze into overcrowded buses.
“I was late for the school on Monday as there was no autos on the road and buses were too crowded to get in. I just wish the auto drivers lift their strike and get back on the road at the earliest,” said Punnyartha Banerjee, a class XII student.
Meanwhile the agitating driver stayed put on their stand and refused to lift their strike till their demand – immediate action against all autos with illegal permits – was met. “Our strike will continue. We understand the commuters are being harassed but we don’t have a choice,” said a member of the auto union.