PUNE, June 7: With most of the schools reopening tomorrow, parents and schoolgoing children are in for a tough time as the ongoing dispute between the Regional Transport Authority and auto operators is showing no signs of abating.The Rickshaw Panchayat has proceeded a step ahead in defying the RTA norms: it has instructed the three-seater operators not to pay fine to the police for violating the norms.Sources in the panchayat told The Indian Express that union activists throughout the city have been asked to inform ``vardi operators'' (three-seater operators ferrying schoolgoing children on a monthly contract basis) in their respective areas not to pay fine, for violating RTA norms.The decision to ferry 10 schoolgoing children, in defiance of the RTA norms, was taken at the meeting of panchayat on Thursday. According to the RTA norms, a three-seater operator can ferry six children to school. For six-seater operators this limit has been fixed at 12.Ram Sharmale, one of the organisers of panchayat, told this paper that panchayat would not tolerate ``partial'' attitude of the RTA. ``The RTA is not initiating action against six-seaters which are blatantly carrying more passengers than the stated limit of six. Then why should we get cowed down and oblige to their norms,'' he asked adding that it had been more than a month since announcement of banning six-seaters in old limits of Pune Municipal Corporation was made by then transport minster Chandrakant Khaire in the State Legislative Assembly. ``Not a single notice has been issued and they are still plying their services,'' he said.``It is RTA's ploy to divert the attention from the basic issue and that is why this issue of school children has cropped up,'' he alleged.He confirmed that ``vardi operators'' have been instructed not to pay fine. ``Three-seater operators ferrying schoolgoing children should not pay fine at any cost. We have appealed them to contact at our office immediately after being targeted by the police,'' he said.On the other hand, Rickshaw Union affiliated to Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) has appealed three-seater operators to ferry six children in accordance with the RTA norms.When contacted, V R Patil, assistant commissioner of police, traffic branch said that action will be taken ``as per the rules'' against three-seater operators who violate the RTA norms.
