Date:13/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/13/stories/2007071359830500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Autorickshaw drivers rue ban on three-wheeler registration

Staff Reporter

Blame growth in the number of two and four-wheelers for road congestion

PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

Presenting a case: Auto drivers’ union leader Amanullah Khan addressing a workshop at Goshamahal police stadium in the city on Thursday. -

HYDERABAD: “Restrict registration of not only autorickshaws but also two and four wheelers in the city.” This was the suggestion of autorickshaw driver unions to the Government given at an interactive meeting organised by the City Traffic Police here at Gosha Mahal stadium on Thursday. The nearly 68,000 registered three-wheelers were much less compared to the number of motorcycles and cars which kept increasing rapidly, Auto Drivers Brothers’ Union leader Amanullah Khan argued.

But the Government chose to ban registration of only three-wheelers. “In fact, the mushrooming growth of two and four-wheelers was the main reason for congestion of roads,” he said. Mr. Khan appealed to the Government to enforce the six-children-per-auto-rickshaw rule but ‘allow two more children in each auto-rickshaw.’

Plea rejected

However, Traffic Police Additional Commissioner V.S.K. Kaumudi outright rejected his plea. Leaders of other unions remarked that the official machinery took the initiative to provide bus bays but neglected requests for separate parking lots for three-wheelers.

Mr. Kaumudi promised to conduct a joint survey with autorickshaw drivers to find space for autorickshaw parking lots. He said suggestions to introduce one-way movement of traffic during peak hours would be examined. He asked the drivers to adopt lane discipline.