The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : What People Say

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Monday, Sep 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

What People Say

Autorickshaw drivers are not happy over the recent fare fixation. Even a driver committed suicide. Is the violent agitation justified? Here are some of the responses from readers.

Do not fleece us

Autorickshaw drivers are entitled to earn their livelihood. They have families to be taken care of. But they should be taught how to earn without fleecing the public who are their ultimate customers. I suggest the District Collector to take some of the autorickshaw union leaders and few members to Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Hyderabad to show them how autorickshaws are functioning there. Then they will accept the reasonable rate fixed by the committee. I am rather compelled to prefer town bus to auto as they demand Rs.30 for a distance of 2 km, say from Avila Convent School Junction to Saibaba Temple.

For a distance of 3 km, from Avila Convent School Junction to Cowley Brown Road in R.S. Puram they demand Rs. 40! For a distance of 6 km, from Avila Convent School Junction to Railway Station, they are demanding Rs. 80 which is indeed totally unreasonable. In fact, for the same distance of 6 km, call taxi charges only Rs. 70 and it can accommodate five persons easily. Accepting the rate fixed by the committee will will ultimately benefit the autorickshaw drivers.

Ram,

Coimbatore.

Think of your family

The death of an auto driver is unfortunate. It is high time that we tell them not to give up their lives for such trivial matters. While the politicians encourage such acts, the poor people are the ones who ultimately suffer. The driver who lost his life has left the world after suffering, and the bereaved family will now be in trouble for life. Fellow auto drivers may mourn for a couple of days, but will later forget the whole issue as things are sorted out either way. His wife, with children to care for now, will have to work hard and be satisfied with the ex-gratia given to her by political parties.

Sandhya Ramesh,

Coimbatore

Rowdyism

Auto drivers indulged in rowdyism in front of Ramakrishna Hospital in the name of agitation. Everything happened in front of the police. One thing is definite. If people gather in large numbers and indulge in vandalism, the police will not take any action. Instead, they will rush to pacify the vandals, ignoring their duty to take action against them. The incorrigible attitude of autorickshaw drivers clearly shows that fleecing is their birth right and nobody can dare question them, which the administration is also acknowledging in one way or another. If they charge a reasonable fare, many people will engage autos and they can have fetch good income and gain respect.

A classic example is Mumbai autos. I am a regular visitor to Mumbai and use only autos because of the reasonable fare and their approach.

But, for the last seven or eight years I have never got into an auto in Coimbatore, only because of the arrogant attitude of the drivers. The number of call taxis and share autos is increasing only because of the non-cooperative attitude of autorickshaw drivers.

If they really want to survive, they should charge only reasonable fare and the administration should also fix only reasonable fare without yielding to the threat of autorickshaw unions.

K. Subhash Chandiran,

Saravanampatti Post.

Abide by the law

Rise in oil price and revision of fare for public transport have become routine functions of the Government.

The public is aware that auto drivers are not law-abiding. This has been going on for a long time. It is immaterial whether they go on strike or not. Since this development is not affecting the public, they resort to other means of transport. It is my feeling that if this adamant attitude continues and the Government and political leaders are swayed by emotions rather than reality, the fleecing will continue.

E. Sivasankaran,

Nanjundapuram Road.

Accept meter fare

It is indeed sad that an autorickshaw driver ended his life for a cause he considered great. In neighbouring Palakkad the autos are reasonable. The drivers there make more money than the ones in Coimbatore.

I pray that good sense prevails over the auto drivers in Coimbatore and they accept the meter fare. What worries me more is that the autos in Coimbatore are much more polluting because of the usage of a mixture of petrol and diesel and perhaps kerosene to cut running cost. The Government should do something to stop these autorickshaws from plying on the roads, as we still have not woken up completely to the devastating effects of global warming.

R. Balaji

Raja Street.

Standard meter

Experience of the public in the past is that they have been charged with exorbitant fare even after the hike in the minimum fare. Now we are prepared to pay the fare fixed by the new committee after an amicable settlement with the auto drivers but with a request that all the autos should carry proper standard meter.

S. Mariappan,

Kavundampalayam.

Inhuman approach

When it comes to fleecing, the Coimbatore autorickshaw drivers are a class by themselves. I am a physically challenged person and use this particular mode of transport often. It is unfortunate but true that these men take advantage of my condition to fleece me even more. I have been forced to cough up Rs. 80 for a trip between SITRA and Thanneerpanthal – a distance of 5 km that should cost only Rs. 30 (call taxis charge Rs. 54).

Bernard Thangasamy S.,

Peelamedu.

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