Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, May 2: It is accused that police are forcefully making passengers in running taxis to alight in order to take them for election duty.

On Monday, some taxi drivers staged a protest near the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office of the city against the action of the police, who stopped their cars and made the passengers get down from the vehicle and took the vehicle for election duty.

The car drivers said, “Public book our taxis well in advance. Stopping the vehicle in between and causing inconvenience to our customers is not right. There are people who have booked our cars for marriage functions three to four days in advance. What answer will we give them?”

Anand K, president of Dakshina Kannada Taximen and Maxicab association said, “Vehicles are already provided to RTO for election duty. In addition, police forcefully take taxis when they are taking advanced booking passengers. Police do not do any alternative arrangements for the vehicle drivers. If the officials harass us, we will boycott elections on May 10.”

DC Ravikumar said, “Government vehicles, vehicles of companies and factories owned by the government are used for election duty. If more vehicles are needed, then there is a rule to use public vehicles. However, there is no rule to take the vehicle in which passengers are travelling. If there are complaints in this regard, district administration should be contacted.”