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Two-day BMTC strike handicaps transport-challenged Bengaluru

Here's a snapshot of the transport-handicap in Bengaluru and what you can do if you find an errant auto-rickshaw driver. 

  • Traffic congestion throughout the city as there are 3000 extra private vehicles plying the roads
  • Tourists stranded at railway and bus stations
  • Auto-rickshaws demanding a ransom from commuters have been caught by police
  • Police set up emergency helpline to report on errant drivers
  • Hoysala vans to transport patients in need of emergency medical care
A stroll in the streets of protest hit Bengaluru

Good news first,  the air pollution in the city has considerably decreased as six thousand BMTC buses and two thousand KSRTC buses were taken off Bengaluru roads due to the protest.

However, with the government buses on strike, the number of private vehicles plying the street has increased creating traffic blocks around the city. Senior officers of the traffic division have estimated that around 3000 additional vehicles have been plying the streets today.

Tourists and migrants who had travelled to the city during the strike have been stranded at railway and bus stations and some were forced to spend the night camped outside the station.

Software companies like Accenture, BEML, Wipro and companies in Manyata Tech Park and Electronic city hire BMTC buses for their employees to reach work. Reportedly around 650 BMTC buses are hired to transport thousands of employees but none of them could reach their offices because of this protest.

Auto-rikshaw drivers at Majestic Railway Station, Anand Rao Circle and other busy areas were seen demanding double the fare from commuters. The Bengaluru police tried to nab such drivers and have so far confiscated 160 auto rikshaws and filed around 1800 cases against auto-rikshaw drivers. Using pre-paid auto-rikshaws may be a better option till the strike ends

Thankfully, out of around 1.50 lakh auto-rikshaws only 5-6% auto drivers were seen exploiting commuters, the others have been quite customer friendly.

But if you do find a driver demanding exorbitant fares to ply, here's what you can do. The police can be contacted through any of the following numbers 080-22868444, 080-22868550, 1905  if drivers ask for double the fare or don’t agree to ply to the commuter’s destination:

Police vans will also patrol the city to transport patients that require emergency medical care. The police officers had instructed all the 278 Hoysala vans to help needy commuters. 

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