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Man harassed by Bengaluru auto drivers for booking Uber bike taxi speaks out
A man who was harassed by a group of autorickshaw drivers in Bengaluru for using Uber told HT.com that he has never faced anything like this in any other city.
A man who was threatened and harassed by a group of autorickshaw drivers in Bengaluru for using Uber told HT.com that he has never faced anything like this in any other city.
Thomas Simte, 27, became the latest victim of the war between autorickshaw drivers and bike taxi drivers in Bengaluru on July 25. The Meghalaya man, who has been living in Bengaluru for over a year, booked an Uber bike taxi from Indiranagar Metro Station.
“Usually, bike taxis in Bengaluru stop a few feet away from auto stands. This time, however, I asked the bike driver to pick me up close to the auto stand as it was raining,” he told HT.com. “We were surrounded by a group of auto drivers when the Uber bike arrived. They asked me to cancel the ride,” he said.
The verbal threats soon turned physical as the autorickshaw drivers began to shove and push Thomas and his Uber driver. “One person pulled my bag from behind to get me down the bike,” he said. Then they started talking in Kannada. “Luckily, my Uber bike driver was also a local and he argued with the auto drivers.
“I saw some people recording the altercation, and that is when I realised that I should also film it,” said Thomas. In his video, he can be heard asking the auto drivers “Why are you harassing me? Let me go. If people want to take Uber, they will take Uber.” He shared the video on X.
Take a look at the video below:
The 27-year-old managed to escape by asking his Uber driver to begin driving. He claims, however, that an auto driver hit him on his back even as they drove off.
Thomas told HT.com that he prefers bike taxis over autorickshaws as auto drivers in Bengaluru frequently overcharge customers. “They ask for ₹300 even for short distances, even if it’s a trip of 1km,” he said. “Who can afford to pay that much? This is why I prefer Uber rides.”
The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with many asking for a stricter hand in dealing with the aggressive behaviour of autowallahs.
“I have lived in so many cities, but I have never faced anything like this anywhere else,” Thomas told HT.com.
“I’m really grateful for the support here. I will file a complaint against them in the evening today. Even the biker rider was really supportive of the situation. They also face such harassment from these auto walas everyday,” he added on X.
The autorickshaw drivers’ union in Bengaluru has demanded a ban on bike taxis. Union president M Manjunath said, “Bike taxis are banned in Maharashtra, Telangana and Odisha. In the same way, bike taxis should be banned in Karnataka as well. Otherwise, all the other transport except government transport will be completely shut down.”
