📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Gpkp
Automobile
Bengaluru auto drivers stage strike against bike‑taxi services
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 03 Oct 2026, 02:01 AM
👁 12
Auto rickshaw drivers in Bengaluru have launched a strike to protest the growing presence of bike‑taxi operators in the city.
Auto rickshaw drivers in Bengaluru began a city‑wide strike on Monday, halting their services to draw attention to the rapid expansion of bike‑taxi platforms. The protest, organized by the Karnataka Auto Drivers Association, saw hundreds of drivers gathering at major traffic junctions across the capital.
The drivers argue that bike‑taxi operators, often backed by technology firms, are undercutting traditional auto fares and eroding their livelihood. They claim that the new services operate with lower licensing fees and fewer regulatory checks, creating an uneven playing field.
Union leaders warned that the strike could continue until the state government intervenes to enforce parity in licensing and fare structures. Officials from the transport department have been approached for a meeting, but no official response has been released as of the time of writing.
The drivers argue that bike‑taxi operators, often backed by technology firms, are undercutting traditional auto fares and eroding their livelihood. They claim that the new services operate with lower licensing fees and fewer regulatory checks, creating an uneven playing field.
Union leaders warned that the strike could continue until the state government intervenes to enforce parity in licensing and fare structures. Officials from the transport department have been approached for a meeting, but no official response has been released as of the time of writing.