Civic body decides to regulate auto stands

The Oulgaret Municipality has decided to streamline and regulate autorickshaw stands within its jurisdiction, a long-pending demand of residents.

Official sources said applications have been invited from autorickshaw drivers for providing approval for autorickshaw stands. A committee, comprising officials from the civic body and public works, traffic, police and transport departments will survey the locations and grant permission depending upon the number of vehicles, availability of space and public requirement.

The move comes in the wake of frequent complaints over unauthorised auto stands encroaching public space and hindering traffic flow in areas within the jurisdiction of Oulgaret municipality. The issue was raised during the recent meeting of the District Road Safety Committee.

In several neighbourhoods, autorickshaws are the lifeline of the residents. With limited bus services, people, especially women and senior citizens, prefer to commute by autorickshaws.

However, of late, the rampant proliferation of autorickshaw stands has become a thorn in the flesh for civic authorities. Autorickshaw stands had been set up on all four sides of the Rajiv Gandhi bus terminus on Maraimalai Adigal Salai causing much inconvenience to passengers.

“Though an attempt was made to regulate autorickshaw stands, it has met with little success,” an official of the Transport department said.

According to statistics available with the department, Puducherry has about 2,980 autorickshaws, while the number of stands is around 300. The stands, situated on busy thoroughfares and main roads, have made commuting on the already congested roads a harrowing experience.

“There has been no regulation of autorickshaw stands in the city so far. In 2017, a comprehensive list of 150 locations within the jurisdiction of Puducherry and Oulgaret municipalities was readied and sent to the government for being notified. The Transport department and the Traffic police had surveyed the existing locations with autorickshaw stands and tried to notify them as such. However, the list had some lacunae, and hence was returned,” an official said.

N. Ravichandran, a senior citizen of Pon Nagar who regularly commutes by autorickshaws to visit banks and even the bus stand, says, “Auto drivers form a group while starting a stand in a residential locality and do not permit drivers from other zones to park their vehicles near the stand. The stand creates a monopoly, allowing drivers to dictate fares with commuters having little recourse. There is no regulatory system to enforce the fares fixed by the government.”

According to an urban planner, “Several parameters, including the availability of space and the requirement of the public, would have to be considered before authorising new stands. Many of them continue to occupy vantage spots, including bus shelters and pedestrian pathways, hindering the flow of traffic. The stands have the backing of trade unions and political parties, and the authorities are left struggling to rein them in.”

An official said that autorickshaw drivers should henceforth obtain prior permission from the local body before setting up a new stand. A survey will be carried out for all the applications received and permissions will be granted in a time-bound manner. This will resolve a lot of problems, the official added.