The Auto Strike

For me, the week days usually starts with my friend waking me up. Then me rushing to get ready for the office, walking till the bus stop, bus journey till the Electronic city entrance (which without traffic should not be more than 10 mins but the bad traffic stretches it to anywhere between 20-30 mins), then a ride in the shared auto from the EC entrance till the office. This shared auto is usually packed with around six passengers (I actually mean 6 passengers and including the driver makes it a total of 7 ppl in one rickshaw) for which the auto driver used to charge Rs. 5/- per head. If you take an auto separately, you will have to pay Rs. 20/- which actually if you see the meter, should not be anything more than the minimum. Since, it is outside the city limits, so the drivers make their own rules and their own fares. Well, life was going pretty smooth as I too had accepted these rules.
The scene at the auto stand is usually very systematic. All autos will be in a queue. Six passengers will squeeze into one rickshaw, it will move ahead, the other auto in the queue will come forward, it will get filled and the queue moves on.
One morning, I found some confusion among the passengers at the stand and not the usual systematic flow. People were reluctant in getting into the auto. Was wondering what had gone wrong. Well, came to know later that someone had complained against the auto drivers for packing the autos with six passengers. So the police had commanded them not to take more than three ppl in an auto. Well, I thought that was a proper thing to do. But, obviously that meant a loss for the drivers of Rs. 15/- per ride. And it was pretty obvious that they wont take it so easily. So, they found another way out and increased their fare from Rs 5/- to Rs. 10/- per head. I too was reluctant to get into the auto hearing the rise in the fare. Well, but had no other option as had to reach the office on time. I paid the fare but decided to complain to the police against the hike.
But due to some reasons, couldn’t go to the police station that day.
In the evening while coming back, I found that again the drivers were taking 6 ppl in one auto and the fare was again reduced to the usual 5 bucks. May be someone had done what I had intended to but did not ie. had may be lodged a complaint. Well, not sure about the reason of the change but, ya I was comfortable that way so didn’t bother to enquire either.
Well, today morning, when I had just started to the office, a friend called up and told that the autos were on strike and that she was walking down to the office from the EC entrance which will probably take around half an hour. I had to make some arrangement for myself, so called up a friend and asked to pick me up.
Though reluctant initially, but he agreed. That made me realize that may be I was asking too much of a favor. So decided not to pester him and find some alternative.
Reached the EC entrance to find many software engineers working in the many IT companies in EC waiting there for some bus to come. After a wait of may be 10 mins, a local miny bus came and ppl ran and got into the bus. Well, the rickshaw drivers had a problem with this. So they went and quarreled with the bus driver and made everyone get down. This was too much to take. I searched for the police standing there and complained to him (can read it as “fought with him”) telling that the auto drivers didn’t have the right to stop other buses. And that it was the duty of the police to stop them from doing so. Well, as expected, he had nothing much to say and was taking the auto drivers side. Have no clue how much he was paid by the drivers for being their “friend”.
Well, I had to get to the office so had to think of something to be done.
So thought of calling up the transport in charge of my company. On calling him, before I could narrate the whole story, he told that the company has arranged for a bus. I thanked him and kept the phone down.
After a wait of another 5-10 mins, a bus came. I couldn’t recognize it as my company bus but just thought it might be.
People started getting into it. But as soon as they entered, the driver asked them for money. I was horrified and was wondering how could my company think of making money even in such a situation.
I called up the transport incharge again to ask about the same. He told that, that was not my company bus and that it was just on its way. It reached in another five mins and I reached my office, though little late, thanks to the auto strike.
On reaching, the first thing I did was send a “thank you mail” to the transport incharge for making the alternate arrangement and also for attending all the calls and responding well. Though it was doing his duty, but I felt it was necessary to appreciate it as he had done that very well.

Have seen movies depicting the police as corrupt but saw it today… I wonder how one can trust them and with what hope a normal citizen will approach the police…
Well, have no clue what will be the result of the strike and how long it will continue?
Just hoping that the goverment and the auto drivers reach at some conclusion that is best for both the general public and the drivers too.