Interface between the autorickshaw drivers and the public

Kural, a public initiative for city development, has organised for Friday an interface between the autorickshaw drivers and the public on the meter fare. It will be held at the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry auditorium on Avanashi Road at 5.30 p.m.Sources in Kural said this was the first direct interface between the drivers and the public on the issue of a meter fare remaining elusive in Coimbatore. The event is being organised in the backdrop of the drivers’ unions rejecting the Government-fixed Rs.14 as the minimum meter fare.

The enforcement of the fare was withdrawn when a driver set himself ablaze allegedly in protest against it. A committee comprising representatives of the unions, consumer bodies and officials would go into various issues that the drivers are raising to justify their demand for Rs.20 as the minimum fare for the first one-and-a-half km and Rs.10 for every subsequent km.The sources said that the interface would serve as a platform for both sides to air their grievances, but would certainly not provide any opportunity for a confrontation. The organisers were aware of the people’s grouse against the drivers, but the interaction should not be converted into a sabre-rattling session. People might have to write their questions and give it to the moderators and the union representatives would explain their stand on various issues related to the fare.

The Joint Committee of Coimbatore District Autorickshaw Workers’ Unions has sought public support for moves to have a meter fare in the district.Accused of scuttling moves so far to enforce meter fare, the committee appealed for public support in a press release issued on Thursday.President of the committee P.K. Sukumaran said in the release that autorickshaw drivers were tired of the charges that they were greedy and were not satisfied with any meter fare and also that they harassed and robbed passengers of their money. The drivers were also human beings and also worked to help the common public, he argued in the release.

Explaining what the drivers demanded, Mr. Sukumaran pointed out that the Rs.7 (for first two km) minimum fare was fixed in 1996 when a litre of fuel and lubricant cost Rs.29. The cost of these had been revised 38 times since then and it was Rs.60 now.The statement blamed the Government for the problems in implementing a meter fare. The Government should have revised it whenever the price of fuel increased, it said.Apparently seeing a pressing need to win the faith of the public, the committee president said consumer welfare bodies were not seeing the reason behind the demand for a higher fare, but were only keen on criticising the autorickshaw drivers.Therefore, the public should examine why the drivers were demanding a higher fare and support them.

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