Irked at increasing lawlessness among autorickshaw drivers in the city, the Motor Vehicles’ Department, Traffic Police and the Kochi Corporation are finalizing plans to bring them under the scanner.
The matter will be discussed at the meeting of the Regional Transport Authority, on Tuesday. As a preliminary measure, the MV Department intends to regulate the number of autorickshaws with city permit at 7,000, said the Ernakulam RTO, T. J. Thomas. Though 4,000 permits were issued, there are only 2,500 autorickshaws with city permit now, he said.
As a result, autorickshaws from the suburbs began to venture into the city, many of them driven by people with a criminal background. “Their sole aim was to make maximum profit by operating a few trips in the city and many drivers used to get a profit of up to Rs 2,000 daily by fleecing passengers. Most of them ferry goods, in addition to passengers, making a hefty profit.
The driving licence of five autorickshaw drivers who were involved in crimes was revoked recently and none of them had city permit. There are instances of a single owner having up to 100 autos. This is apart from the benami autorickshaws of influential officials and others,” sources said.
There is also a hike in number of complaints about drivers misbehaving with and even assaulting passengers and other road users. The MV Department recently found that many autorickshaws were operating with fake city permit numbers.
Another fallout of the over-supply of autorickshaws is their stands running out of space. Thus, more illegal stands set up by different trade unions began to prop up in even small junctions and side roads, hampering free movement of vehicles. With the number of autorickshaws sans city permit increasing, even the illegal stands have begun running out of space. The result – autorickshaws are parked in two rows at many junctions, causing traffic hold ups and accidents. The examples abound – at Chembumukku, Chakkarapambu in the NH Bypass and so on.
Mr. Thomas spoke of how trade unions are encroaching on even land acquired to widen roads and illegally establishing autorickshaw stands. “Steps will be taken to limit their number to 175 in the city,” he said.
The owners of autorickshaws with city permit have formed an association and have demanded an end to autoricskhaws sans city permit operating in Kochi.
