The demand of autorickshaw drivers in the city to allot more parking spots for trouble-free service is yet to be addressed by local administrators despite the rise in number of city service permits being issued.
Drivers’ unions alleged that the number of permitted parking slots were going down at all major locations, thanks to the “unscientific” reforms by the police without studying the difficulties facing taxi operators.
Representatives of various motor workers’ unions, who took up the issue recently at the Motor Vehicles Department’s ‘Vahaneeyam’ adalat, pointed out that the number of approved parking slots for autorickshaws in the city is just 36 as against the previous 64. It is hardly sufficient to manage the actual requirements, they said.
According to functionaries of the motor workers’ union, there are around 5,000 autorickshaws with permits to operate city services. Many drivers are in the process of replacing their old vehicles with e-rickshaws or CNG/LPG variants for cost-effective operation.
“The government’s plan is to grant 2,000 new permits without addressing the existing concerns. How will it work with the limited facilities in a growing city such as Kozhikode?” asked C. Rajesh, an autorickshaw driver from Pavangad. He said that the existing parking slots, a majority of them located at inconvenient spots, also have difficulty accommodating a satisfactory number of vehicles.
Comfort stations
Leaders of drivers’ unions alleged that drivers of other taxi vehicles and trucks were also facing similar challenges. According to them, the city is yet to have good comfort stations for inter-district or inter-State truck drivers. The authorities by and large ignore their concerns, they said.
Toilet facilities
LPG Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union leader A.K. Sajeev Kumar said women drivers were the worst hit in the absence of proper toilet facilities. “Many of them are forced to depend on hotels. Drivers also face hostility from the police in the name of illegal parking and traffic rule violations,” he added.
Meanwhile, police sources said that efforts were on to identify more parking slots exclusively for autorickshaws without disrupting the city’s existing traffic plan. All locations suggested by drivers cannot be considered at the moment as it will affect vehicular flow in urban areas, they added.
