Ahmedabad, July 22
A standoff between auto rickshaw drivers and the Ahmedabad Police escalated into a full-scale strike, as rickshaw unions launched an indefinite protest.
Accusing the police of undue harassment and wrongful penalisation, the auto unions have brought autos off the roads since Monday midnight, causing massive inconvenience to daily commuters across the city.
The strike led to traffic congestion at several key junctions, with frustrated commuters left stranded in the absence of last-mile transport options.
Eyewitnesses reported that some striking drivers were forcibly stopping rickshaws carrying passengers and urging fellow drivers to join the protest.
According to leaders of auto unions, the trigger for the strike was a series of alleged arbitrary actions by police officers, including wrongful seizure of vehicles and fines under the pretext of enforcing the Motor Vehicles Act.
They submitted a formal memorandum to the Police Commissioner, alleging that the enforcement is being used as a tool to meet "targets" rather than to ensure road safety.
"The state government recognises auto-rickshaws as a legitimate means of livelihood, yet our members are being targeted and harassed without cause," they stated.
They also alleged that apart from traffic police, general law enforcement personnel were intervening in traffic regulation, which they claim is beyond their jurisdiction.