[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Dimapur administration issued reviewed fares of auto rickshaws in Dimapur is highly appreciated. For many years, the citizens of Dimapur have been neglected by the local authorities due to the absence of a proper regulating mechanism to check these unscrupulous elements who engage in illegal practices daily.
For many years the auto rickshaws in Dimapur have been hiking and increasing there fares according to their whims and fancy. These auto rickshaw mafia in Dimapur have been misusing the weakness of the Dimapur authorities and charge anything that is illegal.Passengers’ anger against these people is common everywhere from Chumukedima to town areas. The auto rickshaws have discredited the meaning of public services. Fuels prices have fallen drastically all over the world and even in India there have been several times the prices have decreased due to Global falling prices of oil in both diesel and petrol.
But in Dimapur, due to the absence of proper regulating authorities, these auto rickshaws increase the fares almost every year not once but twice, especially during festive seasons. They will claim various pretexts such as hike in fuel prices, day and night situations, and even charge demand high fares because of our bad roads!
Another instance of how reckless and defiant these auto rickshaws can be seen in their constant flouting of orders and notice from the administration.
• Why are the Dimapur authorities not enforcing meters?
• Why are the autos complaining when meters are fair and justified for passengers?
• Also, why are these autos not wearing uniforms despite the recent orders that every driver must wear autos?
• Why are autos still not displaying the fare charts to passengers?
• How many times, every time fares are revised, they have been told to display the charts to passengers at least?
• Why aren’t the district administrating arresting / prosecuting them?
• Aren’t there laws in the government that these auto rickshaws are not above the law that they can do whatever they want? It is time to teach these greedy transport services a lesson.
One of the many reasons why the autos are taking advantage of passengers is the weak administrative mechanisms. DCs, SPs and officers spend their live moving in government-issued vehicles, how can they understand the suffering of the common people who depend on auto EVERY DAY?
It is time for the Dimapur district officials and authorities especially the DC and the regional transport authorities to start truly administrating the people – take care of them and redress their grievances. Everywhere autos claim they are at loss for this and that reason and blah blah blah. But the only people who lose here are the common people, the passengers who are robbed daily by these nefarious elements who move about in the guise of public transport services such as the auto rickshaws.
The reduction of the unfair auto fares is much welcomed. However, to ensure proper implementation, I on behalf of all passengers who have been using autos for many many years, request the DC and SP of DImapur to forms some strict rules to curb these autos and clean the system of corruption and manipulation.
This is our hope and confidence that the DC and officials of Dimapur district start thinking about the common many not only in terms of orders / notices, but in terms of strong visible action in terms of prosecution and arrest and cancellation of license, for the interest of the people of DImapur.
Yours faithfully,
Chubasangit Longkumer
A concerned citizen of DImapur
