Corporation to regularise auto stands

Thursday, 04 December 2014 05:24 administrator
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The Hindu         04.12.2014   

Corporation to regularise auto stands

Even as the new rate for autorickshaws with digitalised meter comes into effect on Friday, the Tiruchirappalli City Corporation has decided to regularise stands for autorickshaws in the city.

The autorickshaw drivers will have to pay licence fee for parking vehicles in the identified stands of the corporation. The decision will come into force immediately once it receives approval from the Tiruchi District Traffic Advisory Committee for permitting stands at 337 locations. The proposal has been approved by the Corporation Council that met here a few days ago.

The proposed move was expected to increase the number of autorickshaw stands from existing 337 to 674 in the city. They have been classified into A, B, C grades depending upon the location of them. The stands at thickly populated areas, bus stands, railway junction, and railway stations will be brought under A grade stand category.

The licence fee for parking in “A” category stand has been fixed at Rs. 1,000. It is Rs. 750 and Rs. 350 for B and C categories. A provision has been given to pay the fee once in six months.

Sources said that the corporation authorities had visited most of the identified auto stands and conducted a survey. They had been impressed upon the need for regularisation of them.

A survey revealed that there were 3,844 autorickshaws in the city. Nearly 10 per cent of them had been operating from “A” grade stands.

The move has received good support from many autorickshaw drivers.

“It is a good attempt. It will give official approval for operating from identified stands,” says C. Annadurai, secretary, Indira Gandhi College Auto Stand.

B. Hussain Babu, an autorickshaw driver at Anna Nagar, said it was a long-pending demand for autorickshaw drivers.

They were ready to pay the parking fee. However, the authorities should ensure that it was only nominal.

A senior official of the corporation said each stand should be administered by a self-regulated body of autorickshaw drivers in the specified location. The members would be given photo identity cards by the corporation. Autorickshaws, which were allotted a parking lot, would not be allowed to park in other stands. All drivers should wear uniforms while on duty. They should follow standard rules and regulations. Action would be taken against those violating them.