Protest march by auto and taxi drivers in Madikeri
Madikeri: Alleging that the operation of rental bikes and ride-hailing aggregator services within Madikeri city is causing hardship to autorickshaw drivers and operators of tourist taxis, the associations on Friday staged a protest by halting the services of auto-rickshaws and tourist taxi vehicles from 6am for 12 hours. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mysuru | Silver Rate in Mysuru | Bank Holidays in Mysuru | Public Holidays in Mysuru Stay updated with the latest Mysuru news. The passengers waiting for autos had to walk long distances to reach the destinations, especially on the busy weekly market day. The drivers and operators of the autos and taxis held a protest march in the city and submitted a memorandum to the Kodagu district administration. ADC Jayalakshmi received the petition, which asks the authorities to stop the rental and ride-hailing aggregator bike services by cancelling permission. Medappa, honorary president of the Madikeri City Auto Drivers’ Association, stated that the services are causing financial loss to autorickshaw drivers. Since these services carry passengers at significantly lower fares, autorickshaw drivers and owners—who rely entirely on their vehicles’ earnings for their livelihood—are facing severe distress, he stated. Veerendragowda, president of Madikeri Tourist Vehicle Owners and Drivers Association, Ponnappa (Dinesh), president of Kaveri Vehicle Drivers and Owners Association and Mahendra, president of Coffeenadu Tourist Vehicle Drivers and Owners Association, stated that the operation of rental bikes is causing difficulties for tourist vehicle drivers. Download the TOI App.