The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Digital meter deadline extended to January 31

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Digital meter deadline extended to January 31

Staff Reporter

Tokens will be issued only till December 31

Tokens’ issue at RTA offices, Hockey Grounds from today
20,000 autos installed with devices till date

HYDERABAD: Giving in to the demand from auto drivers, the Transport Department has extended the deadline for installing digital meters in auto-rickshaws from December 31 to January 31.

However, the tokens for purchase of digital meters will be issued only till December 31. Manufacturers will not sell the meters at reduced prices after this date, Transport Commissioner Poonam Malakondaiah said at a press conference here on Wednesday. Tokens for the meters would be offered at all the Regional Transport Offices in twin cities and at Hockey Grounds (Diamond Point) from Thursday.She said auto drivers who obtained the tokens by December 31 would be exempted from enforcement and penalties till the deadline. Over 20,000 auto-rickshaws have been installed with the devices till date and it was the initial slow response from auto drivers that led to the sluggish rate of digital meter installation during the mela, she pointed out.

Denying the Transport Commissioner’s claims, Anti-Auto Digital Meter Struggle Committee general secretary B. Venkatesam said there were not enough technicians at the mela and it was taking nearly 45 minutes for an auto driver to obtain the token, install the digital meter and clear the final test. The Transport Commissioner said that from January 1, only those auto-rickshaws which would have installed digital meters would be allowed to conduct business at railway stations, bus stations and air port. She called upon the commuters to lodge complaints on the RTA toll free number 1074, if any auto driver refused to operate the digital meter.

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