Members of the auto union of the Baguiati to Ultadanga route are gearing up to intensify their protest against the alleged passive response of the state government authorities on the issue of auto drivers who have been plying illegally in the route.
Notably, during the last week of May, more than 400 auto rickshaw drivers went on an indefinite strike against ‘flying autos’ plying in large numbers on the route without valid permits. Their strike was called off after the officials of the RTO office intervened. The auto drivers of the route started a fresh bout of their agitation on last Friday when the assistant secretary of the auto union of the route was allegedly beaten up by some drivers while he was trying to stop the latter from picking up and dropping passengers at Baguiati crossing. The drivers of the route since then have been on indefinite strike resulting in hundreds of commuters being left in the lurch.
“During the last strike the RTO officials had asked us to submit our papers,” said one of the members of the auto union. “We had been told that our documents will be sent for verification to find out the number of illegal autos plying in the route. However, despite submitting our paper there has been no action against the misconduct of the drivers of the ‘flying autos’ on the route,” he added.
The member of the union, speaking on conditions of anonymity, alleged, “We have also tried to talk to the senior authorities of our trade union INTTUC but there has no response. In such circumstances, we have decided to gherao the RTO office at Barasat to protest against the passive response of the authorities on the issue of illegal plying of around 130 unregistered autos on the route.”