Siliguri: Auto drivers in Siliguri staged a protest on Monday afternoon, halting services to voice their anger over the increasing presence of illegal Totos (e-rickshaws) on main roads.
The protest took place in front of the PC Mittal bus stand on Sevoke Road, leading to major inconvenience for passengers across the city.
The drivers alleged that many unregistered Totos are operating freely on national highways and major roads, violating court orders.
They claimed that these violations are severely impacting their livelihood.
Although the administration conducts occasional raids, the drivers argued that enforcement is temporary and the issue resurfaces within days.
“Totos are given specific routes and without number totos are not allowed to ply on main roads, however, they are freely roaming here and there by disobeying rules.
This is adversely impacting our lives. We are not getting passengers. We want police to take action against them,” said Ramesh Shah, an auto driver.
Demanding a permanent resolution, the auto drivers called on authorities to curb the unchecked operation of Totos. Police later intervened, assuring strict action against illegal Totos. Following this assurance, the protesting auto drivers resumed services.