THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Commuters could soon see a game-changing addition to their daily journeying options, with share autorickshaws on the fast track to becoming a reality across the state. The State Transport Authority (STA), which is set to meet on July 31, is poised to green-light a landmark pilot project, starting with Kochi.
Once the project gets the nod, Kochi will join metro cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai,Hyderabad and Lucknow, where ‘auto-pooling’ has long been a success.
Under the proposed framework, these vehicles will transition from the traditional contract carriage permits to stage carriage permits, enabling multiple passengers travelling along the same route to share both the ride and split the fare.
A state-specific change under the Motor Vehicles Act will legitimise a service desperately needed in areas with inadequate transit options while directly curbing unfair fare practises.MVD officials confirmed that Regional transport authorities (RTAs) will be fully empowered to facilitate these operations to solve last-mile connectivity challenges.
“They may be permitted only on notified feeder routes where public transport facilities are inadequate, primarily to connect residential and office areas with nearby bus stops and metro stations,” said an STA document accessed by TNIE.Once the policy is approved, the details like the type of vehicle, colour code — if any —, fare, etc. will be decided by the RTAs.
‘Fares will be fixed at affordable levels’
The document emphasised that fares will be fixed at “reasonable and affordable levels, ensuring a balance between commuter convenience and operator viability.”
The momentum for this reform picked up pace after Jijimon Abraham, of Ernakulam, petitioned the MVD to address the city’s escalating transit woes. Jijimon, who also serves as secretary of the Kadavanthra Residents’ Association, noted that fixed-route share autos will significantly reduce commuting costs and encourage residents to abandon private vehicles for daily travel.
“Earlier, a section of auto drivers and private bus operators had opposed the initiative. But with shared rides, auto drivers get more work, and buses get more passengers through the feeder service that they offer,” he said.
The initiative also aligns with the 2013 Justice M Ramachandran Fare Revision Committee report, which recommended designating 25% of autorickshaw permits for shared services. Reinforcing the move, a research by the Kochi-based think tank Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) highlights severe gaps in the current network. A recent CPPR survey in Aluva revealed that over 50% of commuters consider the lack of local feeder options as their primary daily headache, forcing 71% to rely on private transport.
Crucially, nearly three-quarters of respondents stated they would “happily jump on shared transit the moment it becomes available”. CPPR noted adopting share autos aligns with the National Urban Transport Policy, and expands public transit to deliver affordable micro-mobility for students, women, and elderly alike.
Commute plan
‘Share auto’ is a public transport service in which multiple passengers travelling along the same route share a single autoric-kshaw and pay individual fares.
State Transport Authority considers the ‘share auto’ plan for a Kochi pilot project
Under the proposed framework, autos will shift from contract carriages to stage carriage permits within a 6-10 km radius along designated feeder routes
RTA to issue separate stage-carriage permits and fix affordable per-passenger rates
Services restricted to notified feeder paths connecting residential areas and offices to bus/metro hubs.
Fixed pick-up/drop-off points to prevent traffic jams and street hailing
