Auto drivers plan fast on January 29

Coimbatore District Autorickshaw Workers’ Joint Action Committee has decided to observe a fast on January 29 at Gandhipuram in protest against the delay in implementation of the meter fare system.

The State Government recently fixed the fare for autorickshaws in Chennai as follows: Rs 25 as minimum fare for the first 1.8 km and Rs. 12 as the fare for every additional km.

However, the unions in Coimbatore termed the fare as unviable and demanded fixation of Rs. 30 as the minimum fare for 1.5 km and Rs. 15 as fare for every additional km.

Meeting held

The administration held a tripartite meeting and forwarded the demands, recommendations and suggestions of the consumer organisations for fixing the fare for Coimbatore.

Meanwhile, auto unions went ahead and decided to implement the fare demanded by them as the fare structure and started distributing fare chart cards to the autorickshaw drivers. The trade union affiliated to the ruling party and a section of autorickshaw drivers objected to the same.

The administration said that fixing of fare was the legal right of the Government and added that the unions cannot arrogate themselves with such powers.

Officials thwarted the attempts of the trade unions to implement the fare fixed by the unions from January 1.