Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Dec 7: Tourist vehicle owners and drivers blocked a service bus that was carrying people of a marriage party on Monday, December 7.

This incident occurred at Thokottu junction.

The wedding party was travelling from Amblamogaru, Madaka towards Mukka on a bus that had received a route permit for Suratkal to State Bank. Taxi Men's and Maxicab association president Dinesh Kumpala along with Thokottu tourist drivers and owners blocked the bus at the Thokottu junction and informed the police department and RTO.

The tourist vehicle owners and drivers said that service buses are not supposed to carry passengers that are attending a specific marriage function.

Ullal police and traffic police personnel who rushed to the spot were about to penalize the bus, but the taxi drivers and owners urged them to register a case against permit violation. A case was registered likewise.

Kumpala said that the taxi drivers and owners have been deeply impacted due to the pandemic. "The buses are not running on set routes and this is costing us our livelihood. We had to act as the RTO is mum on the issue. We are paying tax even though we are not earning during these unprecedented times," he said.

“Our source of income comes from these wedding trips. We have informed about it to the people in the district. People are hesitating to travel in yellow coloured vehicles. They should give up such thoughts and show an inclination towards taxi drivers,” he said.

George D’Silva, Sharath Kumar, Krishna Poojary, Mustafa, Sebastian, Prajwal, Ranjith, Manjunath, Devesh Bangera and others were present.

“We have allowed wedding party members to continue their travel in the bus on humanitarian grounds even though the bus driver asked us to transport them in our vehicles,” said office bearers of the taximen association.