Sector V-bound autos wait for passengers near Karunamoyee crossing on Tuesday. Pictures by Saradindu Chaudhury

On a day when autorickshaws of more than a dozen routes plying through Salt Lake hit the protest path and went off the streets joining the city-wide strike, auto drivers of one route proved to be the transport lifeline of employees travelling to the tech hub in Sector V.

Like any other day, autos were lined up on Tuesday morning adjacent to Anandalok Hospital in DK Block to carry passengers from Karunamoyee to SDF Building. While buses coming into and leaving Salt Lake from every other direction lacked even a toehold of space, buses bound for Sector V like routes 215A, 201, New Town-Kolkata station and 44A were far less crowded.

“I was unsure of reaching office today after I heard of the auto strike. My sister skipped school too. But one of my colleagues called up to say that autos were plying in Sector V. So I took an auto to reach my office in Infinity Building,” said Shilpi Das, a resident of FE Block.

Prabir Biswas, who is driving on the route for eight years, grinned on being asked if they were inspired by the 24x7 work ethic of Sector V. “What we are doing is benefiting passengers as well as ourselves. There was no pressure on us from the union not to ply. We know how people in Sector V work round the clock. We are happy to provide service to them,” he said.

The secretary of Karunamoyee-SDF Building route union Tapan Chanda spelt out the ground reality that made them ply their trade, disregarding the strike call. “Nothing would come out of the agitation. It is us who would suffer losses. If we don’t drive autos how will we be able to feed our families?” said Chanda.

Autos queue up at the gas station on Tuesday

Autos of all other routes affiliated to the Bidhannagar Indian National Trinamul Trade Union Congress took part in the strike. Dilip Ghosh, president of the unit, would not comment on whether an exception was deliberately made for Sector V.

There are 70 autos that ply from Karunamoyee to Sector V.

It is not as if Sector V-bound auto drivers do not support the causes that made their brethren launch the agitation that threw the public transport system off gear on Tuesday. Rather, they suffer a more acute pinch than most, they claim.

“We are facing greater losses than drivers on other routes. Distance-wise, ours is among the shortest routes. On top of that, we get enough passengers only during peak office hours. Even then, the rush is one-way. Most of the time, we have to return with empty seats. Fares must increase to compensate for our losses,” said Biswas, the driver.

From April 1, the price of auto LPG has gone up to Rs 53.06 per litre from Rs 46.57. “The sale of auto LPG has dipped over the past four days,” admitted Bhabani Nath, owner of Salt Lake Service Station, beside City Centre. This is the only auto LPG service station in the township.

The drivers are at one with other auto drivers over the other major grievance too. The new police commissionerate has threatened to impose fines if autorickshaws carry more than four passengers. “But look at the buses. There are 44 seats yet one can carry so many passengers. If they are not violating rules by overloading then why are we being pulled up for taking five passengers?” said a driver, echoing Tuesday’s agitators.

Secretary Chanda agreed that auto drivers have much to fight for. “But strike is not a good method to achieve our ends. We have to find other ways to fight for our causes,” he said.