New autorickshaw fare
Collector Neeraj Mittal addressing a meeting of the representatives of autorickshaw drivers’ unions in the city on Friday, in connection with fare revision. Commissioner of Police C. K. Gandhirajan (right), is also in the picture.“We will implement the new autorickshaw fare (with Rs.14 as the minimum ) in earnest from August 20 as it is eminently practicable,” Collector Neeraj Mittal told a press conference here on Friday.Mr. Mittal, who had a meeting with Commissioner of Police C.K. Gandhirajan, transport officials and the representatives of the unions of the autorickshaw drivers, said what had been announced was the one fixed by the State Government for Chennai city.“This is virtually double (that of the one in existence). This has been done after wide ranging consultations with all the top level union leaders and it is a wrong notion that the Collectors are empowered to fix higher (rates) than that. Compared to Chennai, Coimbatore has less congestion and hence the speed of the vehicle could be slightly higher. Besides, LPG has also been introduced as fuel. Hence, the fare is more than practicable.”
He pointed out that in various cities, including Bangalore, the fare was less. “But what we have fixed here is the maximum permissible within the State.”Dismissing the apprehensions voiced by some autorickshaw unions on the “practicability” of the implementation, he was categorical that the new fare was “inevitable”. “Let the drivers abide by this for at least a month and give me the feedback. In case of genuine grievances, I am prepared to take it up with the Government.”Besides, he said the administration would soon consider whether further improvements like “prepaid system” could be implemented here also, at least from major points such as airport, railway station and bus stand. “Of course, this will take some more time.”
In case of some drivers seeking “excess fare” from Monday, the public could complain to the control offices in the Regional Transport Offices. Coimbatore (South)—0422- 2212520; Coimbatore (North) - 0422 2218449; Pollachi—04259 225159; Mettupalayam—04254 226330 and Tirupur – 0421 2473545.Besides, in a bid to bring down the number of accidents (as Coimbatore accounts for at least 10 per cent of the total 10,000 road accidents in the State), a renewed focus had been accorded to enforcement.During the first two weeks of this month alone, 2,176 vehicles were checked and check reports regarding various technical problems had been issued to 325 vehicles.
Besides, licences had been cancelled or suspended for a number of vehicles for violations including drunken driving. Almost about Rs. 2 lakh had been collected as tax. And six vehicles had been impounded as they had been driven without fitness certificate “I have requested all the Regional Transport Officers to allocate some time everyday to be personally on the road to make the checking more effective.”
