Autorickshaw owners, who do not possess permits to ply in Shivamogga city, have urged the district administration to grant them permits. However, on the other hand, those owners who have permit have urged the administration not to issue fresh ones.
Both factions met B. Shankrappa, Regional Transport Officer, in Shivamogga on Tuesday and presented their arguments. There are 257 autorickshaw owners who have purchased and registered their vehicles in recent years. However, they do not have permits to offer their service in the city. The Regional Transport Authority, which met on May 20, 2019, under the chairmanship of then Deputy Commissioner K.A. Dayanand, took the decision to stop issuing fresh permits, considering the number of vehicles in the city. Since then, fresh permits have not been issued.
As of now, there are 4,627 autorickshaws with permits to operate in Shivamogga city limits. The owners with permits maintain that the fresh permits would take away their business, as the number of permits issued so far has been more than enough for the city. However, those who purchased the vehicles in recent years argued that without permits they could not offer the service, causing them a heavy financial burden.
Mr. Shankrappa said the matter would be taken up in the next RTA meeting to be chaired by the Deputy Commissioner. The meeting would involve the Superintendent of Police and the RTO, among other officials.
Operating autorickshaw service without permits from the RTO attracts a penalty, and in the case of any accident, the casualty does not get any benefit. The RTO continues to register new autorickshaws, though issuing fresh permits has been stopped.
