Belagavi, Monday: The Auto Rickshaw Owners and Drivers Association, Belagavi, has issued a fresh memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister demanding strict action against private white-board vehicles allegedly operating commercially and e-autos plying without the necessary permits through ride-hailing platforms such as Rapido, Ola and Uber in the city.
In its latest appeal released on Monday, the association said it had repeatedly approached the concerned offices and the transport department over the issue. Still, no stringent action had been taken so far.
The association alleged that private vehicles registered with white number plates were being used to ferry passengers commercially through these platforms. It also claimed that some electric auto-rickshaws were operating without the required permits.
According to the association, these operations are affecting the livelihoods of local auto-rickshaw drivers, many of whom belong to economically weaker families and depend on daily earnings to meet expenses such as vehicle loan repayments, insurance, taxes, and maintenance.
The association has urged the authorities to verify vehicle registrations, transport permits and aggregator licences under Sections 66 and 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the applicable Karnataka On-Demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016.
The association’s primary demand is an immediate investigation into Rapido, Ola and Uber-linked vehicles, along with electric auto-rickshaws, allegedly providing commercial passenger transport services without the required permits.
The latest petition renews the auto-rickshaw operators’ demand for enforcement of transport regulations and a level playing field for licensed auto-rickshaw drivers in Belagavi.