Members of the Dakshina Kannada Online Taxi Drivers and Owners’ Association on Tuesday held a rally and demonstration protesting against the alleged harassment of app-based taxi operators in and around the city. Starting their rally from Nehru Maidan here, the members came to Central Railway Station, where they claimed, the harassment has been more in the hands of metered taxi operators and autorickshaw drivers.
Association honorary president and DYFI district vice-president B.K. Imtiyaz said, “A few taxi and autorickshaw drivers have been harassing app-based taxi operators at the Central Railway Station, even though they do not park the vehicles in the premises. The drivers reach the station on call by customers and go away picking up or dropping passengers. However, vested interests are preventing such an activity,” he lamented.
Even though app-based taxi operators are legally owning and operating the vehicles, the administration has remained mute spectator to their harassment by vested interests, Mr. Imtiyaz alleged. He urged the district administration to offer suitable protection to app-based taxi operators at the railway station and other places.
