KOCHI: Do you know what a ‘Vellimoonga’ is? Sorry guys, its neither the super hit Malayalam Biju Menon starrer nor the bird ‘white owl’. Vellimoonga is the nick name for the new-gen auto-taxi that can be seen plying at several parts of the city. These classy vehicles have eventually become a threat for autorickshaws, taxis and the public as well.
The vehicle got its name as its front looks like the face of an owl. Certain auto drivers also opine that not only do the vehicles resemble the owl in their shape but also their attitude is similar to that of an ‘owl’.
“They are the real trouble makers. They want to infiltrate into the existing autostands and pre-paid counters to lure the passengers by showcasing better facilities. But, all the good thing ends there. Once the passenger opts for it they charge them a huge amount in fare. Last week, we had to lock horns with the drivers of ‘Vellimoonga’ after they ‘canvassed’ Sabarimala pilgrims. However, the police intervened and resolved the issue. This is not an isolated issue. They are repeatedly creating trouble at various points in the city to infringe upon our trips,” said Naseer, an autodriver at pre-paid counter at north railway station.
The police officials said that these ‘Vellimoongas’ create trouble for passengers too. “Around 40-50 auto-taxis are plying across the city. They reportedly charge a whopping `150 for a trip though the minimum fare is only `20 per one and half kilometre of a taxi service. Though we have directed them to levy only the minimum auto charge rather than taxi fare, they are not ready to oblige. We will take stringent actions against the drivers fleece the passengers.
“It is also learnt that they are operating from unauthorised stands as they are not allowed to operate from an auto or a taxi stand. The 600 CC vehicle charging the fare of an 1200 CC vehicle is not acceptable. Moreover, the government has not fixed any tariffs so far for these ‘Vellimoongas’. So the government should take steps to immediately set up an exclusive stand for the auto-taxi service”, said B S Syamanthabhadran, district general secretary, All Kerala autodrivers association.