Pics: Spoorthy Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network, Mangalore (NM)

Mangalore, Nov 18: Rickshaw drivers staged a protest in front of Mangalore City Corporation, here demanding for authorized parking places in the city, well conditioned roads and against the growing hike in petrol rates day by day.

Prakash VN, one of the rickshaw drivers, explained there are as many as 350 rickshaw parks used by the drivers but among them only 69 parks are authorized areas in the city. In the year 2008, BS Yeddyurappa, the former CM allotted Rs 100 crore to authorize all the parking areas, he recalled. Accordingly, the city corporation decided to do so in the meeting held in the Sabha Bavana, Karnataka Bank here. With the help of the rickshaw drivers, the traffic Police Personnel assigned certain places for rickshaw parking.

Due to widening of the roads in the city the parking places have disappeared, even the concrete roads are prepared with the edges high and the dumped roads are to be faced by the driver’s everyday, he grieved. City Safety Committee is formed to deal with such problems, but it’s of no use, added Prakash.

Mohammad Irfan, speaking on the occasion, said the city corporation is not considering our pleas. We spend half of our earnings to repair our vehicles. Many of the allotted parking areas are already taken out by the corporation, he grieved.

Rickshaw drivers joined the protest in huge number. M Alihasan, the president and B Vishnumurthy, the secretary DK District Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association were among them.