Another deadline has passed. But the prepaid autorickshaw counter is yet to start operation at the Mangalore Junction Railway Station. Furthermore, the counter at the KSRTC bus stand has not resumed operations.
Regional Transport Officer C. Mallikarjuna said the prepaid autorickshaw kiosks at the Mangalore Junction Railway Station would start functioning from January 1. Earlier, it was assured that the counter would begin operating from April 2012; later the launch date was postponed to June 2012.
A prepaid autorickshaw kiosk at the busy Mangalore Junction has been long overdue. The 500-m terrain that connects the station and the Mangalore-Bangalore National Highway is very rough. Consequently, autorickshaw drivers charge extra to traverse this stretch. Trains going towards the northern and eastern parts of India stop at this junction.
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“I do not see determined action by authorities to set up the prepaid autorickshaw counter at Mangalore Junction. We have been only hearing of new deadlines,” said Hanumanth Kamath from the Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike.
The kiosk at the Mangalore Junction is being set up out of the funds given by a public sector bank. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Autorickshaw Union has come forward to run the kiosk.
Mr. Mallikarjuna said that the prefabricated structure of the kiosk was ready. “We are waiting for the bank to issue the design of the top portion of the kiosk,” Mr. Mallikarjuna said.
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About the prepaid autorickshaw counter at the KSRTC bus stand that has been nonoperational for three months, Mr. Mallikarjuna said a decision had been taken to hand it over to the agency looking after the parking facility at the bus stand. “We would like to start operations of the two counters from January 20,” he said. Hand-held devices for the issuance of pre-paid autorickshaw receipts would be put to use shortly at the Mangalore Junction Railway station, KSRTC bus stand, and Mangalore Central Railway prepaid autorickshaw kiosks, he added.