A decision has been taken to allow only autorickshaws with city permits to operate in the city limits. Steps would also be taken to prevent autorickshaws with rural registration numbers from plying here. The decision was taken by the Traffic Police and district administration against the backdrop of incidents where passengers, including women, were attacked and fleeced by some autorickshaw drivers.
Currently, the district has around 60,000 autorickshaws, of which only 4,500 operate with city permits, that too issued years ago - before 1992.
The high-level meeting which was attended by the District Collector and Motor Vehicles Department officials has decided to issue city permits to another 29,000 autorickshaws, which will take the number of ‘legal’ three-wheelers in the city to 33,000. However, only three-wheelers with city registration will be given city permits from Thiruvananthapuram RT Office. It is also learnt that only these autorickshaws will be allowed to operate in the city limits. According to officials, strict action will be taken against all autos without KL-01 registration number seen operating and parked in the city limits. The officials also made it clear that the autorickshaws from rural areas with KL-19, KL- 16, KL -20, KL -21 and KL -22 registration and rural permit can only bring and take their passengers back from the city and will not be allowed to operate here.
“We have also received complaints of drivers misbehaving with, and in some cases even molesting, passengers. Most of the culprits are drivers of autorickshaws which do not have city permits and operate here illegally. This is apart from the common complaint of autorickshaw drivers in the city charging above double the fare. There are three-wheeler drivers in the city who earn over Rs 1,000 as daily profit by fleecing passengers,” said a police official.
“It has also come to our notice that most often, autorickshaws plying illegally are involved in the incidents of misbehaviour, overcharging and refusal to carry passengers. The implementation of the new decision would help us to check the incidents of misbehaviour. The initiative would also aid in looking into the complaints of commuters more easily,” said Assistant Commissioner Traffic South P Mohanan.
“Once the Thiruvananthapuram RT office completes the procedure of giving city permits, we will start implementing the follow-up measures,” he said.