THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The pre-paid autorickshaw counters lying defunct for the past few years in the capital city will be revived and opened for the public from November 1.
Following the coronavirus outbreak, the operations of the pre-paid counters – established to offer safe rides at fair prices – were stalled. Even after the pandemic days ended, the city corporation and the traffic police did not make any effort to reopen the counters as various issues, including staff salary and other operational costs, plagued the project.
The state capital had around nine pre-paid autorickshaw counters -- at Gandhi Park, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, KIMS Hospital, Pettah Railway Station, Medical College, Power House Road, Thampanoor Bus Station and at Thampanoor Railway Station.
At present, only a couple of counters are functional. A majority of the pre-paid counters were shut down because of poor revenue. The corporation had launched the pre-paid counter facility when V Sivankutty was the mayor.
The traffic advisory committee, which met the other day, has decided to revive all the pre-paid autorickshaw counters including the ones at the Medical College Hospital (MCH) and the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple – two of the busiest locations in the city. The closure of the counters had come as a heavy blow to those arriving at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the MCH. Hundreds of patients visit the MCH from across the state and even from the neighbouring state.
The committee has decided to increase the charge for pre-paid autorickshaw services from Rs 2 to Rs 3. It had already been decided to give the staff at the counters an additional Rs 100 per duty.
“The pre-paid autorickshaw counter will be a boon to the hundreds of patients and bystanders arriving at the MCH. The counter will help keep a check on unnecessary fleecing by autorickshaw drivers,” said Medical College councillor D R Anil.
Meanwhile, plans are afoot to open two new pre-paid autorickshaw counters at Lulu Mall and Mall of Travancore. Auto Drivers’ Association (CITU) district secretary Jayamohan K said the union has proposed the launch of new counters at malls in the city.
“The working hours of some of the autorickshaw counters have been restricted to 12. The counters near the bus station and the railway station will function 24 hours. We have also urged all autorickshaw drivers to utilise the counters to get passengers to make the initiative a huge success,” he added.