The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Autorickshaw permits only for drivers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Autorickshaw permits only for drivers

Karthik Subramanian

Union leaders hail the move, saying it could end haggling

STEP FORWARD: Now only drivers will get permits for autorickshaws.Will it bring good tidings for the commuters? — File photo

CHENNAI : In a bid to empower the autorickshaw drivers, the State Government has decided to issue permits only to drivers. Drivers and union leaders hailed the decision, saying it could have a positive effect on the city's commuters.

The State Transport Authority is currently shortlisting candidates for the issue of 10,000 new autorickshaw permits in the Greater Chennai Region. Following the above decision, it will issue permits only to drivers and not to owners who rent out the vehicle. It will also insist on the new permit holders displaying details about the permit, along with their photographs, on the vehicles.

Drivers and autorickshaw union leaders said the decision was `pro-labour' and that it could bring about badly-needed reform in the sector, including charging as per the fare meter.

Politics of permits

The issue of permits has a huge bearing on the state of affairs in the city. Successive governments issued few permits over the past decades. Several drivers pawned their permits with usurious moneylenders. Though the price for issue of permits is only Rs.325, moneylenders sell them for as high as Rs.1 lakh.

Goodwill Autorickshaw Drivers Union president K. Kumar said: "Most drivers are forced to overcharge because of their debts. But if the government issues permits only to drivers, it could eliminate usurious money lenders from the scene."

V. Narayanan of INODA (Indian Organisation for Developmental Action), a service organisation, said the government decision was a positive step, but needed follow up. "The government can revise its policies for the 45,000 plus permits already issued. It can find out how many owners are renting out autorickshaws in the city and cancel their permits and issue them to other drivers."

He also pointed out that there would be a marked difference between owner-drivers and those who rent out the vehicles. "They will be more polite to the commuters and willing to charge by the meter."

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