Auto Rickshaw Drivers' Strike Against Bike Taxis Turns Violent in Pune, India

© AP Photo / Saurabh DasA young boy cycles past scores of three wheelers called autos parked during a commercial auto and taxi strike in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 26, 2016.
A young boy cycles past scores of three wheelers called autos parked during a commercial auto and taxi strike in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, July 26, 2016. - Sputnik International, 1920, 28.11.2022
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In recent years, online cab aggregators in India have launched bike-ride services. Following this, many auto drivers have seen their businesses negatively affected.
A protest organized by auto drivers in the Pune district in India's state of Maharashtra turned violent on Monday after some of the participants started attacking nearby auto rickshaws for ignoring the strike, local media report.
The protesters also targeted bike service providers and attacked bike riders.
Currently, no private app-based company is legally permitted to operate bike taxis in Maharashtra. Despite this, however, many apps like Rapido, Ola, and Uber have reportedly been offering their services.
About 3,000 auto drivers from 16 unions called a day-long protest against the bike taxi service and gathered in front of Pune's Regional Transport Office (RTO) to protest the matter.

The unions allege that in the absence of appropriate policies regarding bike taxis in Maharashtra, they have been playing "illegally," hampering the local auto rickshaw business. The unions also believe there are currently hundreds of thousands of them in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad area, with hundreds more adding up every month.

The competition turned sour for drivers when app-based taxi-hailing services were launched in the city. What's more, bike taxis started operating at a much lower cost there.
Pune authorities have conducted several drives against bike taxi aggregators over the past few years, seizing hundreds of bike taxis per month. They have also imposed a fine of INR 10,000 ($122.5) on such taxis.

Meanwhile, auto rickshaw drivers and owners' associations on Monday declared that the strike would continue indefinitely.

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