Cabbies threaten strike from Monday

Aparajita Ray, TNN Feb 11, 2012, 02.18AM IST   Times of India

BANGALORE: Make sure you have a foolproof arrangement in place to commute between Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) and the city if you have any air travel plans on Monday: cab operators have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from that day in protest against the move to introduce toll on Bellary Road leading to the aerodrome. More than 10,000 cabs make over 40,000 trips to and from the airport every day.

The cab operators are demanding that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should roll back its decision to collect toll at three places on Bellary Road.

The toll collection is scheduled to begin from Friday midnight: at Sadahalli gate from those returning from the airport and under the Trumpet Intersection and two km ahead from those heading towards Devanahalli and Hyderabad, respectively.

Karnataka Tourists Motor Cab Owners Welfare Association representatives met NHAI officials earlier on Friday and demanded that the toll decision be scrapped. The NHAI showed the cab operators relevant government orders and said there is nothing they could do.

"The NHAI has not kept its promise of first developing service roads and then collecting toll. Hence all cab and taxi owners and operators have decided to go on strike from Monday morning for an indefinite period," association secretary Ramesh P said.

Cab drivers and locals had vandalized the Sadahalli toll plaza on April 1, 2011, when the NHAI made the first attempt to collect toll on that road.

"We cannot do anything. As per central government orders and structural plans, we have to collect toll to further develop the road," said RK Gupta, project director, NHAI, Bangalore.

FARMERS PROTEST

Over 75 farmers from Devanahalli and Chikkajala protested against the NHAI for not having paid them the compensation after taking away their land to develop the road on their lands. NHAI officials said the case is pending in a lower court in Bangalore and arbitration proceedings are on.

The farmers had planned to block the road at the toll gate at Sadahalli. But a 250-strong police contingent prevented them from carrying out their plans. Posse of police stationed at Chikkajala blocked around 25 farmers on their way to protest. The farmers then staged a protest under the Trumpet Intersection for two hours before dispersing.

Speaking to TOI, Yaluvanahalli Sannegowda, secretary of 'Bhoo Swadhina Horata Samiti, said that none of the 160 farmers from Devanahalli and surrounding areas have received their compensation. "We were promised of Rs 50 lakh per acre. Now the land prices in the area is over Rs 1.5 crore per acre," he said and added: "No official wants to take the responsibility for compensation."

Chandre Gowda of Chikkaballapur said that he was waiting for compensation for over 20 months. "In Chikkaballapur, a total of 328 farmers gave away their agricultural lands. Of these, only 128 farmers have been compensated," he claimed.