Road Transport Authority dismisses auto assn's plea

The Regional Transport Authority of the district said that it would not be possible to impose a ban on Nano and other taxi services in the city, here on Tuesday. Earlier, various autorickshaw associations of the city has petitioned the Authority to impose a ban on the same inside city limits.

Speaking at the meeting, convenor of Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore, M Lakshman said that with Nano and other taxi services transporting people inside the city, it had  hurt the revenue source of more than 30,000 families who are dependent on autorickshaws for their livelihood.

Even though the taxis are contract carriage vehicles, they were transporting people inside the city. The services of these vehicles should be prohibited inside the city, he said.
Chairperson of the Authority and Deputy Commissioner, C Shikha, said that cabs were allowed to ferry people from one point to another, and that no limit had been set for them, for the minimum and maximum distance they could travel.  She said that no permits have been issued for cabs to serve as taxis inside the city, and only contract carriage permissions have been issued. Therefore, it would be against the law to ban or prohibit Nano and other taxi services in the city. She said that any move to ban such vehicles would go against public transport system, as the public will be robbed of the services available to them.

However, during the meeting, members of the Authority assured that action would be taken against cabs, if they were found to be violating any conditions of the permits granted to the vehicles.  The cabs were also prohibited from queuing up at public places, like autorickshaws and were instructed to respond only if contacted on phone, during the meeting. Officials also noted that cabs were prevented from queuing up near the railway station, after it was brought to the notice of transport officials.
The Authority held that while it was possible to ensure that cabs adhered to the regulations in the permit, it was not possible to ban them outright.
Protest
In a meeting of Social Democratic Autorickshaw Union, held at Jaganmohan Palace in the evening, members of the Union decided to stage a protest on March 31, against allowing nano and other taxi services in Mysuru city.
Members of the union said that such taxis should be allowed only during peak tourist season.