Abolition of the unauthorised autorickshaw stands
Even as the district administration and the Regional Transport Office get into a fresh assessment of autorickshaw drivers’ demand for Rs. 20 as the minimum meter fare, there is scepticism among the public over whether even this fare will end fleecing.A major public demand is the abolition of the ubiquitous and unauthorised autorickshaw stands. These are seen as the main cause for fleecing as drivers and their unions establish control over territories under the jurisdiction of the stands.For instance, an autorickshaw that brings passengers from the railway station to Sathyamurthy Road at Ramnagar in the city cannot return from there with another passenger. Only the vehicles in the local stand can be hired, autorickshaw drivers point out. Therefore, the journey from the railway station to Sathyamurthy Road costs double the normal rate. This will be the fate of passengers even if the rate is fixed at Rs. 20, because the stand culture will disallow return trips. Some of the drivers who are in favour of the present meter fare of Rs. 14 say that they are forced to go along with the majority. They point to the fate of the white flag autorickshaws that had been willing to operate with the earlier fare of Rs. 7 in 1997.Intimidation and denial of space in any stand and no support from officials are said to have ended a valiant attempt by a few to defy a parallel administration run by the majority of autorickshaw drivers.A driver says that exorbitant sums are demanded from the passengers because autorikshaws can pick up passengers only from their respective stands. Disallow all the stands to allow pick up from any place, the rates will automatically become affordable to both the drivers and passengers, he asserts.
President of the Joint Committee of Coimbatore District All Autorickshaw Workers’ Unions P.K. Sukumaran has been vociferously demanding the legalising of all the stands. Where will the drivers look for passengers and where will passengers look for autorickshaws, he asks.A driver says on condition of anonymity that while stands are disallowed, parking space can be provided to the vehicles. But, all they will do is to wait for a brief while at a spot to see whether passengers hire them. If not, they can move to some other place to look for passengers.While this system can be allowed, authorities should remove stands where unions put up their boards and declare these spots as their fiefdom. Some drivers point out that taking on the unions straightaway on the fare amounts to shooting mosquitoes with a cannon.
If the stands are removed, passengers can hire “running” autorickshaws that will be forced to charge a nominal rate because of the competition on the roads. Stands actually give false sense of security to the drivers, that they will get an assured income.Former president of a Rotary Club T. Sampath Kumar says “running” autorickshaws stand to benefit from even car owners who are frustrated with the lack of parking space in the city. “I hate to go by car to Oppanakara Street or Raja Street because there is virtually no parking space. This is where autorickshaws can benefit if they charge a nominal fare. More people like me will be willing to use autorickshaws to reach congested shopping areas,” he says. Here also, stands should not be allowed. They can park the vehicles for sometime and pick up passengers. As the number of trips increases, the drivers will find income based on a moderate fare also rising.
At the same time, Mr. Sampath Kumar also feels that the autorickshaw drivers should be given an opportunity to reform. They have remained isolated for a long time, but because of the fleecing they resorted to. Now, their requirements as unorganised sector workers can also be looked into in terms of health insurance and loans for vehicles and meters. But, demanding a sum that is too loaded against the public is unfair, he said.
