Bengaluru Man Harassed by Auto Drivers for Using Uber Bike Taxi

Bengaluru: Thomas Simte, a 27-year-old from Meghalaya, experienced severe harassment from a group of autorickshaw drivers in Bengaluru on July 25 after booking an Uber bike taxi. Simte, who has been living in Bengaluru for over a year, was surrounded by auto drivers at Indiranagar Metro Station when he requested his Uber bike to pick him up closer to the auto stand due to rain.

The situation quickly escalated from verbal threats to physical altercations as the auto drivers shoved and pushed Simte and his Uber driver. One auto driver even attempted to pull Simte’s bag off the bike. “The auto drivers started speaking in Kannada and became increasingly aggressive,” Simte recounted. Thankfully, his Uber driver, also a local, argued back, and Simte managed to capture the incident on video.

In the video, Simte is heard pleading with the auto drivers, saying, “Why are you harassing me? If people want to take Uber, they will take Uber.” Despite managing to escape, Simte claimed an auto driver hit him on the back as they drove away.

Simte, who prefers Uber due to frequent overcharging by auto drivers, expressed his shock at the harassment, saying, “I’ve lived in many cities, but I’ve never faced anything like this anywhere else.” The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with calls for stricter measures against such aggressive behavior.

The Bengaluru autorickshaw drivers’ union has since demanded a ban on bike taxis, citing similar bans in other states.