Summary:
COIMBATORE: Almost 200 auto drivers from across unions gathered at Red Cross to protest against penalty charges at the regional transport office and corporatisation of the autorickshaw business. The demanded that the increased charges be rolled back immediately.The protest taken out by the Coimbatore District All Autorickshaw Workers Joint Committee said they condemned the raising of penalty charges at RTOs. Now they have increased the renewal charges and fines for non-renewal," said a protesting auto driver, K Sivaraman. "The penalty for a licence not renewed has also been placed at Rs 1,550 a month. "First the fares fixed by the government are economically unviable in Coimbatore, but we paid heavy fines and loss of business because of it..