The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Bengaluru): Tensions persist in Bengaluru between autorickshaw operators and bike taxi services, highlighted by a recent episode where auto drivers allegedly prevented a passenger from using a bike taxi, including threats to the bike taxi driver, despite a statewide ban on electric bike taxi operations.
In a statement circulating on X, a Bengaluru weather enthusiast recounted his encounter. “Upon exiting the metro station, I arranged for a bike taxi through @rapidobikeapp. Initially, an electric bike was dispatched, but its arrival was met with hostility from auto drivers who resorted to verbal abuse and chased the rider away. Acknowledging the ban on electric bike taxis, I subsequently secured a non-electric Honda bike through Rapido. However, the auto drivers once more intervened, coercing the rider to cancel and preventing me from boarding the vehicle,” he detailed.
The weatherman’s subsequent attempt to book a non-electric bike taxi was again thwarted by auto drivers who forced him off the bike and berated him. He attempted to clarify the legality of non-electric bike taxis, to which they responded dismissively and barred him from documenting the incident.
He appealed to the Bengaluru police for intervention to protect citizens opting for bike taxi services. The Bengaluru police have acknowledged the incident and promised to take appropriate measures.
This event underscores the ongoing friction between Bengaluru’s autorickshaw and bike taxi sectors, with auto-rickshaw unions strongly advocating for a complete prohibition on bike taxis, a stance that has previously led to confrontations and assaults on bike taxi drivers.
