The autorickshaw unions have sought relaxation in the rules pertaining to their entry in the island city limits. At present,autorickshaws are not permitted beyond Sion and Bandra. Union members will soon approach Mumbaiites to seek their opinion on the issue. We will soon approach people to know if they need autos in the city limits, said Shashank Rao,son of union leader Sharad Rao and assistant general secretary of Mumbai Autorickshaw Mens Union. The union has not yet decided on how to approach the people. It could be at auto stands or we may even go door to door. As a public transport body,autos were first introduced in Mumbai in the 1970s. As per the rule,the autos were restricted to the suburbs. The decision was primarily taken to restrict the movement of autos and the possible congestion it would cause in future. Transport officials are,however,non-committal over allowing autos across the city. We are looking at ways to decongest the city area and allowing autos will worsen the situation. We register over 800 new vehicles in the city and this throws light on the traffic congestion in Mumbai. Also,there is shortage of autos in the suburbs. If even a faction of autos are diverted to the city,it will hurt the transportation system in the suburbs, said a senior transport official. How can the autos congest city areas? Officially,there were 55,000 taxis 10 years ago. Now there are only 38,000 taxis plying in the city which means we can use this space. The decision will also benefit the common man, added Rao. The auto union has also threatened to go on a strike on August 9. Reiterating the demand to increase the auto fare,the union said prices of fuel have gone up and other aspects like inflation should also be considered. The union also demanded 38,000 dormant autorickshaw permits to auto drivers. They also want relaxation in the law of giving auto permits to people who have spent 15 years in the state.
