On the fast track, road and rail

In a bid to find a solution to the traffic chaos, Pune Divisional Commissioner Nitin Kareer on Friday cleared a dozen public transport proposals.

A dozen remedies for a dozen ills

In a bid to find a solution to the traffic chaos, Pune Divisional Commissioner Nitin Kareer on Friday cleared a dozen public transport proposals.

The Road Transport Authority (RTA) targeted various problems posed by autorickshaws and the first issue to be addressed was three-seater autorickshaws not plying by meter in PCMC areas. Permits of repeatedly offending vehicles stand to be cancelled .

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The other proposals included issuing city permit to 2,600 autorickshaws from 18 nearby villages, “share” autorickshaws on 14 routes, battery-operated ones as a pilot project on Pune University campus and Tata Magic vehicles outside city limits with a tourist tag.

Speaking on city permits to 2,600 autorickshaws in PCMC areas, Baba Shinde, RTA member, said they will submit an affidavit on stamp-paper of Rs 100 stating they would follow the meter system and get a no-objection certificate from the DCP (traffic), Pune.

He said offences would be registered against any of the 6,500 existing autos plying without meters during a joint drive being initiated by the Road Transport Office (RTO) and traffic department Monday onwards. “For the first offence, the permit will be cancelled for 10 days, then for 20 days for the second offence and up to 30 days for the third followed by cancellation after the fourth,” Shinde said, adding: “Share-a-rickshaw” plan will be implemented on 14 routes in Pimpri-Chinchwad. “It has been decided to waive 13 per cent excise on autorickshaws.” Indivelop Urban Transport Private Limited, implementing ‘Common man’s road taxi project’ for autorickshaws has agreed to pay vehicle tax and insurance on behalf of owners and drivers, he added. As many as 450 Tata Magic vehicles will be given tourist permits to ply outside city limits. “They will carry six passengers, other than the driver,” Shinde said. Other tourist vehicles before 2000 given a ‘6+1’ permit despite a capacity of nine will now be issued ‘9+1’ permit, Shinde said.

A three-member panel of DCP (traffic) Manoj Patil, Shinde and State Transport divisional officer U A Kate will decide stops for tourist jeeps to check illegal stands.

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In the heart of the city, only mini-buses will be allowed.