Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Autorickshaw union resents police move

By Our Staff Reporter

MAKESHIFT STAND: Autorickshaws have occupied the pedestrian pavement in front of the Railway Junction in the city. — Photo: K. Ananthan

COIMBATORE, MARCH 18. Predictably, the city police move to streamline the stand system of autorickshaws has run into resistance. The Coimbatore Autorickshaw Workers' Union said that the move would harm the drivers who already suffer losses.

Last week, the police held a meeting with autorickshaw drivers on relocating the stands to ensure they did not hinder traffic. But the drivers do not seem keen on such a measure. Instead, they contend that their stands have never impeded smooth flow of traffic.

In a recent letter to the City Police Commissioner, Karan Singha, the union pointed out that the stands were located at points that offered prospects of passenger flow, without disrupting traffic. Therefore, shifting the stands from the present locations would only deny the drivers even the measly income they earned now.

Allegation

The letter alleged that at some places police even ordered removal of the stands even when they did not inconvenience the public. It pleaded that the move for removal of stands should be dropped and instead these should be regularised.

Reacting to the union charge, a police official said that the autorickshaw drivers were asked not to have their stands at busy intersections as they might cause accidents. They would not lose their income if they move just some metres away. They were also told not to fleece passengers and to disband their own rule that an autorickshaw driver could not pick up passengers outside his stand's `jurisdiction.'

Even as the union claimed discipline on the part of the autorickshaw drivers, the situation at the Coimbatore Railway Junction clearly pointed to the plight of the passengers and passers-by. The footpath outside the junction had been converted into a stand forcing pedestrians to walk on the road and compete for space with call taxis and speeding buses.

Complaint

Passengers complained that when they emerged from the station, autorickshaw drivers virtually hunted in packs for them. They stopped just short of grabbing the luggage and dragging passengers into their vehicles. If the passengers opted for call taxis, they received the choicest of abuses from the drivers.

These drivers were thrown out of the station premises by the railway authorities when they fleeced passengers despite the pre-paid system in 1999. Back at their `fleecing pavilion' they operated on their own rule, challenging both the transport and police officials.

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