1 am night was lukewarm for Bangalore's autos drivers

Bangalore: Autorickshaw drivers have nothing to write home about the nightlife extension fetching them more income. Not yet.

Friday was day one of the city bars and restaurants remaining open till 1 am on a trial basis. One would have thought that longer nightlife would mean extra business for autorickshaw drivers, who'd be busy ferrying pub-goers to their home. Day one didn't bring them any cheer.

AST Urs, general secretary of Bangalore Auto & Taxi Drivers' Association, said auto drivers would definitely get a few extra passengers owing to the nightlife extension, but it is too early to say how profitable it will be for them. Syed Abdullah, who plies an auto rickshaw between Brigade Road and Koramangala, said there have been times when late-night passengers pay him extra money on their own.

M Manjunath, president of Adarsha Auto Drivers Union, is, skeptical if the extension will benefit the auto drivers at all. He said police make their life tought at night. Moreover, he said, it is too much to expect sloshed passengers to shell out the due fare, as they often tend to get into argument over the fare.
Friday night wasn't too different for traffic police either. Additional commissioner of police (traffic) B Dayananda said they had routine checks for drink-driving. He said there was neither an increase nor a decrease in the number of cases booked on Friday night.

mybangalore@dnaindia.net