City permit sought for more autos

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The AITUC-affiliated Motor Thozhilali Union has sought city permit for 10,000 autorickshaws more in view of the merger of five panchayats with the City Corporation and expansion of the city limits. The union will stage a dharna in front of the Secretariat on June 27, union president Peroorkada Sreekumar and general secretary Pattom Sasidharan said in a statement here.

The Union alleged that the police and the Motor Vehicles Department were harassing autorickshaw drivers in the capital on the pretext of checking permits. It said the report given by the Circle Inspector, Traffic, that permits had been given only to 4,501 autorickhaws was aimed at misleading the court.

They said the majority of autorickshaws that were given the permit way back in 1996 were not plying now in the capital. The traffic implementation committee had taken a decision to sanction 10,000 permits more and the decision was conveyed to the District Collector who is also the chairman of the Regional Transport Authority.