Bhubaneswar: The Capital City’s online auto services came to a standstill today as the members of Smart City Online Auto Drivers’ Association went on strike, protesting the arrest of an innocent driver by the police.
The association members gheraoed the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar in protest against the arrest of a wrong person in connection with an assault case involving offline auto drivers.
The strike has caused significant inconvenience to commuters, with long queues of autos parked outside the Capital Police Station and traffic congestion on the Rajmahal-AG Square stretch. The protesters demanded action against the real culprits and justice for the victim.
According to reports, the incident occurred on June 6, when an online auto driver was allegedly assaulted by the Station Auto Drivers’ Association at the Railway Station area. The police have arrested some drivers from both groups, but the online auto drivers feel that the real culprits have not been apprehended.
The strike has brought the city’s online auto services to a grinding halt, causing hardship to commuters. Till the last report came in, police were trying to resolve the issue, but yet to resolve the issue.