HYDERABAD: Auto drivers at Nampally Railway Station feel there is a need for pre-paid service at the station like at Secunderabad and Kachiguda stations. “The government passed an order to set up pre-paid counters three years ago, after the Traffic Police and the South Central Railway officials conducted a meeting with the auto unions. However, it has not been implemented here and if set up in Nampally, it will benefit more than one lakh passengers who will commute via Nampally,” said S Narendra, an auto driver at the Nampally Railway Station. These are manned by traffic police and we are ready to support them, he added.
“When this is not implemented, auto drivers coming from other areas are picking up passengers and this is leaving us locals without any rides,” Narendra further said. Passengers also feel that this will make their commute home easier and smoother. Ch Ashok Reddy, a resident of Gachibowli said that since there is no pre-paid counter, auto drivers demand whatever price they want.
When contacted, Addl DCP (Traffic), Tajuddin Ahmed (North Zone) said that there are proposals to set up pre-paid auto counters at Nampally Railway Station and also MGBS.”Once the ongoing metro rail works are completed, we will identify a place which can be used by both metro passengers and also those who travel in trains. We will also issue permanent numbers and only those verified ones will be allowed in the pre-paid stand which will work 24 hours,” the official added.