Bengal Transport Department comes out with draft notification on auto-rickshaw policy

Kolkata, June 16 (KNN) In a bid to regularise plying of auto-rickshaws, the state Transport Department has come up with the draft notification of the auto-rickshaw policy, All India Trinamool Congress has said.

The state Transport department had decided to frame a policy of which a major part is route rationalisation, a mechanism to fix fares of a particular route and initiatives to solve the existing problem related to plying of unregistered auto-rickshaws.

A high-power committee was also formed to frame the policy and a draft of the auto-rickshaw policy has been framed.

In a meeting held on Wednesday at Nazrul Manch, the draft of the policy has been distributed among representatives of auto-rickshaw unions. Transport Minister and Additional Chief Secretary of transport department along with other concerned officials were present in the meeting.

The unions and the concerned authorities have been directed to submit their feedback after going through the draft policy by mid-July. They have to submit their feedback in a written format at the office of the state Transport department. After bringing in necessary changes, if required, following the feedback of the stakeholders, the final notification declaring the auto-rickshaw policy will be issued.

As per the draft policy, auto-rickshaws will not be allowed to operate on any unauthorised route. Ferrying of excess passengers than permitted level will not be allowed.

Driver cannot use mobile phones while driving and loud sound systems will not be allowed to be installed, the policy said adding that no high power LED lights will be allowed in front of the auto-rickshaws.

The most important one is that auto-rickshaw drivers cannot charge exorbitantly, said the policy adding that without offer letters, auto-rickshaw cannot be sold out.