Auto drivers seem to have softened their stand on the third day of the indefinite strike called by the Jharkhand State Diesel Auto Drivers Federation in the city. list of their demands has come down to three from six. Nevertheless the district administration is in no mood to show any respite to the striking drivers, who have also created havoc in the city by disrupting city bus services to exert pressure.
“We will call off our strike immediately if three of our six demands are considered by the District administration,” said Dinesh Soni, president of the Jharkhand State Diesel Auto Drivers Federation. He claimed that the main issue is regarding the permit. “Either regional transport authorities issue permits to all the auto rickshaws or cancel the permits issued to 2,335 autos. The judgment of the Jharkhand High Court, in which a case on this issue is pending, will be acceptable by the federation” he added.
The demand regarding the permit is accompanied by two other demands of keeping a check on the practice of alleged bribery and creating token counters by the Ranchi Municipal Corporation, where one time token can be provided to the auto rickshaws on which it can travel the whole day.
Moreover, none of the concerned officials came forward to entertain the demands of the auto drivers and there is no sign to relent either. On the question regarding the demands of the auto drivers, Deputy Commissioner Vinay Kumar Chaubey replied, “The demands are unjust and cannot be entertained.” He further added that city buses are doing maximum trips in different routes so that commuters do not face any problem due to the auto strike.
In the fight between the auto drivers and the officials the public is the main sufferer. Thousands of the daily commuters in Ranchi are running out of alternatives to reach their destinations. The city buses are also unable to serve as a substitute for the three- wheeled public transport due to their lesser number and limited routes.
“I started from my home to meet a customer in HEC. I walked two kilometers to Argora Chowk to get an auto-rickshaw, but in vain. After waiting for almost an hour I returned back home,” said Krishna Singh a businessman from Harmu.
The members of the auto drivers’ federation are going to meet the officials on September 23 for negotiation. The outcome of this negotiation is expected to make the life of residents of Ranchi easier in the coming days.