Mandatory rule to install meters in autos postponed

The police have put a hold on the mandatory rule to install metres for autorickshaws that was to be in place on April 1. The authorities have given them a 20-day notice period to install meters.

The police had earlier said that all autorickshaws operating in the municipal area would have to follow the meter system from April 1. They had also warned about stringent action against those do not comply with the new rule. According to T.A Joseph, sub inspector (Traffic) there will be no police action on Wednesday. The police move to go strict with meters had received little support from the drivers’ unions.

In fact, a joint action council consisting of INTUC, BMS and CITU trade unions had submitted an alternative proposal to the Minister for Transport, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who is the local MLA. Under this proposal, a pre-paid system had to be introduced from every auto stand in the town, factoring in partial weightage for the return trip.

According to Rameshan an auto driver, meter system would not work in the town and return trips materialise only very rarely, especially from far flung areas in the newly added Nattakom and Kumaranalloor and even western low lying areas of the municipality.

“Authorities should take stringent action against outstation autos running in the municipal area. Actually it was they who over charge the passengers. But they would not do this as they need more numbers for their trade unions,” he said.

“There are about 1,700 autos operating in the municipal area and most of them cannot take home even Rs.500 a day,” said M.P. Santhosh Kumar, former chairman of Kottayam Municipality and a trade union leader. According to him, many of the people are leaving the profession.

He said the joint action council was ready to support the attempts by the authorities to bring in discipline in the auto taxi system in the town provided a prepaid system was introduced. Many

However, the prepaid system now in place in a few routes have attracted a lot of complaints as passenger feel that in most routes the charges fixed was very much on the higher side.

There are about 1,700 autos operating in the municipal area and most of them cannot take home even Rs.500 a day, said M.P. Santhosh Kumar, former chairman of Kottayam Municipality.