Kochi: Only half the autorickshaw drivers, who used to operate out of the prepaid counter at Ernakulam railway Junction, have so far taken the mandatory cart license fee even as the June 18 deadline issued by the railways looms large.
“The one month extension was provided following talks mediated by senior police officers. We won’t allow those without the permit to enter the station from June 18 onwards,” said a senior railway official. Earlier, nearly 400 autorickshaw drivers used to operate out of the prepaid counter, however, only 160 of them have taken the license so far.
When the cart fee was introduced last month, traditional autorickshaw drivers staged a protest, citing the rate is unaffordable. On May 18 last, 10 drivers were arrested after they made passengers get down from other autos having the railway permit at the station entrance. However, the issue was temporarily resolved when the railways agreed to provide one month’s time for the autos to fall in line. “The fees comes to only Rs 1475, including GST, for six months. This means only Rs 8 per day. Just to park any vehicles inside the station for an hour, one has to dole out Rs 30,” the officer said.
The cart license fee has now been made mandatory in all major railway stations across the country. “We’ve received encouraging response from Thiruvananth-apuram where over 350 drivers have taken the license and even at Ernakulam North station where 300 drivers applied for the license,” he said. While applying for the license, the owners, along with the fee, should submit documents such as bio-data of driver, vehicle details and police clearance certificate. This system will help in safe and hassle free travel for the railway commuters.
