MANGALORE: The Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Dakshina Kannada, and District Magistrate H.V. Parshwanath have issued the final notification on autorickshaw permits after discussing the problems and grievances of autorickshaw drivers and owners in this regard. The notification issued according to the Central Motor Vehicles Act, has bifurcated autorickshaw permits into zone one and two.

A press release here said that permits issued prior to July 1, 1997, which permit autorickshaws to go anywhere in Mangalore taluk, have been clubbed together and classified as zone one. Autorickshaws possessing this permit can enter zone two, but cannot park there. They can be identified by a blue circle painted on the body of the vehicle. Police have been empowered to monitor this.

Permits issued after July 1, 1997 have been deemed rural permits, as these permits have been classified as zone two.

Such autorickshaws should operate and park only within their zone.

All norms should be followed for permit transfers, the release added. Zone two autorickshaws should have a yellow circle painted on them and owners should obtain the identification number from police.

Autorickshaws operating with a permit under Ullal Town Panchayat limits are allowed to park in zone one, provided their permits were issued before July 1, 1997. The RTA had issued two notifications in this regard. The draft notification issued on May 13, 2005 had carved out three zones.

However, there were several objections to this. After discussions, the three zones were reduced to two at a meeting held on October 26, 2005.

The latest notification issued by Mr. Parshwanath on January 26 has settled on two zones .

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