Autorickshaws in the city will go off the road on February 28 with the drivers demanding a fare hike, among other things. They want the minimum fare to be increased to Rs. 24 from Rs. 17.

Auto drivers from two unions — Auto Rickshaw Drivers' Union (ARDU) and Adarsha Auto Taxi Drivers Union — assembled at the Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner's (DC) Office here on Tuesday to submit the strike notice. Autorickshaws will not ply between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The autorickshaw strike coincides with the national strike called by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), banks, the oil industry and the unorganised sector the same day.

The DC is said to have called the drivers for a meeting on February 27 evening, but the unions are unlikely to backtrack on the strike.

Justifying their demand for the fare hike, B.V. Raghavendra, general secretary of ARDU, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said fuel price had been increased many times, but the auto fares remained the same. “We want the fare per-km to be Rs. 12, and the minimum fare to be Rs. 24,” he said.

However, M. Manjunath, president of Adarsha Auto Taxi Drivers Union, said that they were ready to settle at Rs. 10 per-km and Rs. 20 as minimum fare. “They (the government) will consider a number of factors before agreeing to our demand,” he said.