Nellore: Auto rickshaw drivers have been ruling the roost at Nellore Railway Station following the reluctance of the operators of city buses to run services from the station to different parts of the city.
Though police are trying to bring some discipline to contain overcharging through prepaid system, the auto drivers fall in line as long as police are around and resort to their old practices once the police are out of sight.
After noticing this police officials started imposing fines wherever they receive complaints from the public. When contacted, Nellore SP P.H.D. Ramakrishna said their men are present during peak hours to man the prepaid auto system and there are plans to post police round the clock.
He said they will introduce the prepaid system at the eastern side of the station also once they have enough force. Mr Ramakrishna added they are going to direct all the town buses passing through Atmakur bus stand to touch the railway station for the benefit of the passengers.
Meanwhile, passengers have been demanding to extend the ‘Memu’ trains operating from Chennai to Nellore up to Bitragunta and also demanding for a halt to Garib Rath, Rajadhani, Sathabdi and Tamil Nadu express at Nellore.
A regular commuter and former deputy director of consumer affairs, Government of India, A.K. Khan has alleged that Bitragunta – Chennai passenger is being sidelined various stations to allow other express and superfast trains to pass and it is taking six and half hours to reach Chennai.
He appealed the railway authorities to convert it as fast passenger or express train. Mr Khan has also questioned the rationale behind halting Garib Rath from Chennai to Delhi at Gudur and Ongole ignoring Nellore, which is a Corporation and district headquarters.
He underlined the need to halt all trains heading to North and Northeast at Nellore while pointing to fast pace of industrial development in the region.
Speaking to this newspaper, Railway Station manager Anthony Jayraj said halting of Rajadhani, Garib Rath, Sathabdi and other superfast trains is under the purview of railway minister. Nellore member of Parliament Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy is pursuing the matter, he added.
