Strike cloud after move to rationalise auto route

  • | Tuesday | 14th August, 2018

Officegoers to Sector V and Rajarhat faced immense trouble as the number of autos dwindled for a couple of hours from 10am. We are awaiting instructions,” said an officer.The state bus services to Sector V are expected to be launched on Thursday.We may have to endure a few days of pain to force this sector to fall in line. The state government on Friday decided to rationalize and realign auto routes from Ultadanga due to passenger demand so that autos from a specific route cannot ply on another.“I tried haggling with at least seven auto drivers to persuade them to go till SDF. Thousands of commuters, especially those getting off trains at Ultadanga, were forced to board the overcrowded buses. KOLKATA: The first day’s efforts by cops and transport department officials to count the number of autos plying between Ultadanga and Salt Lake met tough resistance from a section of drivers on Monday.

KOLKATA: The first day’s efforts by cops and transport department officials to count the number of autos plying between Ultadanga and Salt Lake met tough resistance from a section of drivers on Monday. They tried to set up road blocks during peak hours to protest “police excesses” and “efforts to streamline routes according to their will”.Though cops thwarted all attempts to block roads near the PNB crossing and the Salt Lake gate, commuters’ woes could not be averted. Officegoers to Sector V and Rajarhat faced immense trouble as the number of autos dwindled for a couple of hours from 10am. Thousands of commuters, especially those getting off trains at Ultadanga, were forced to board the overcrowded buses. Sources said a section of auto drivers have threatened to go on an indefinite strikefrom Tuesday.Police on Monday morning stopped autorickshaws, asking the drivers to verify the routes they were plying on so that they could be realigned.“Auto drivers on the Salt Lake-Ultadanga route tend to ply till City Centre-I and then travel to Sector V. We told them they have to choose to ply up to SDF or Technopolis as per the RTO decision. They felt we were imposing the routes, a mandate that we do not have. This led to some protests,” an officer from Bidhannagar traffic police said.DC (headquarters) Amit Jawalgi said they have informed the auto operators to take up their grievances with the RTO as cops do not have the authority to speak on the matter. The state government on Friday decided to rationalize and realign auto routes from Ultadanga due to passenger demand so that autos from a specific route cannot ply on another.“I tried haggling with at least seven auto drivers to persuade them to go till SDF. But they refused, saying they were harassed by cops. I was at my wit’s end as I was getting late for office. Ultimately, I persuaded three other commuters to join me and book an app cab as it was impossible to board the S-30 bus which was overcrowded,” recalled Anirban Samajpati, an IT firm executive from Agarpara.Sulagna Banerjee, who was travelling from Kankurgachi, had a similar experience. “Auto drivers even started arguing that their problems multiplied after passengers put up a blockade at Ultadanga a few days ago,”said Banerjee, wondering if the promises made by consumer affairs minister Sadhan Pandey will yield any result.Officers from Bidhannagar and Kolkata police said they have informed the transport department about Monday’s development. “We are not forcing any driver to choose a route right now. We are awaiting instructions,” said an officer.The state bus services to Sector V are expected to be launched on Thursday.We may have to endure a few days of pain to force this sector to fall in line. We should not grudge that, provided we are assured of a lasting solution.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles