Bengaluru: The Autorickshaw drivers from 12 organizations representing drivers operating in the city held a protest against alleged police atrocities at Town Hall here on Tuesday December 30.

Venkate Gowda, President, Karnataka Auto and Taxi Drivers Association, said that the drivers were protesting against the harassment of drivers by the police.

Policemen come in plain clothes and asked drivers to ferry them to some distant place. When the drivers refused, or agreed when the policemen themselves offered to pay more, the drivers are taken to the police station. They are fined and the police advise the Transport Department to cancel the driving license of the drivers.

He agreed that some drivers do refuse to take passengers to the place the latter requests but not all drivers are the same and that such drivers must be punished. However, it did not mean that all drivers’ trouble passengers, he asserted.

The protesters said that MNC cabs must not be allowed to operate vehicles within the city as they have State or National permits.

Maintaining that it was not easy to earn a livelihood by being an autorickshaw driver in Bengaluru, they demanded issue of Below Poverty Level (BPL) cards for autorickshaw drivers, facilitation of housing for them through Bangalore Development Authority or through Housing Board.

A separate Welfare Board for autorickshaw drivers will be set up soon to address to the issue of the auto drivers, the protesters informed.