Frightened auto drivers are keeping off the roads
Auto drivers seek more time to calibrate meters. (Photo: DC/File)
Coimbatore: Auto drivers trooped into the collectorate on Monday and petitioned collector Archana Patnaik to give them more time to recalibrate their meters to the newly-announced tariff card.
“While there are more than 10,500 autos plying in the city, there are just four calibration units. Though we are happy with the new tariff and introduction of meters, we simply want more time to recalibrate the meters,” said S. Nandakumar, an auto driver from the Variety Hall auto stand.
As there is a mad rush at all calibration centres due to stringent imposition of rules, auto drivers are in a fix.
“It takes at least 10 days to recalibrate the meter. But transport and police personnel are not accepting the ground reality and are imposing fines for plying without meters. They do this even when we show the bills to prove that our meters are at the calibration units,” he said.
Frightened auto drivers are keeping off the roads. The police in a joint operation with the transport department have begun a crackdown on autos plying without meters since November 1.
The state government came out with a new tariff of Rs 25 for the first 1.8 km and Rs 12 for every additional km. The fare is 50 per cent more at night between 11 pm and 5 am and waiting charges are Rs 3.50 for five minutes.
When asked for his response, regional transport officer, Coimbatore Central, S. Munusamy said permit conditions state that it is an offence to ply autos without meters. "We have given clear instructions to calibration units not to withhold meters with an intention to make a fast buck. They were directed to calibrate only what they could do in a day," he said.
Auto drivers were given an ample two months to calibrate meters and there are five units, including four in Coimbatore West, and one in the Gandhipuram area. Further, a meter manufacturing unit in Madukkarai also has two outlets to calibrate meters, the official said.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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