Dimapur, August 1 : Dimapurians expected to see a different Monday while taking auto rickshaws, however the day was no different to other days. The dress code for auto rickshaw drivers which came into effect from Monday August 1 as per the directives of Dimapur district administration failed to be put into practice on Day 1as majority of the auto drivers were seen on duty without uniforms mostly comprising of Naga auto drivers.
According to the directive of Dimapur administration: the auto rickshaw commuters in Dimapur do not have to pay fares to those auto rickshaw drivers without uniform and any complaint can be lodged to the concerned traffic personnel on duty or contact nearest ACP traffic. This order was directed considering that, despite repeated reminders many auto rickshaw drivers continue to ply without uniform.
However a traffic police officer informed Eastern Mirror that on Day 1 that the Dimapur traffic police personnel did not receive any complaints from commuters though many had ridden auto’s not complying to the rule. He also acknowledged that the traffic police personnel can do nothing on the compulsory rule imposed since there is ‘war of words’ going on among the Dimapur District Auto Drivers Union (DDADU) members and the rule imposed will be of no use unless the DDADU cooperates.
The Traffic police officer also said that whenever the auto drivers are asked to comply with the rules at the time of checking, the auto drivers refutes being a member of DDADU and for that the traffic police personnel can do nothing. He further conveyed that if the DDADU can solve their issues then there won’t be any such problem arising for uniformity.
The imposition of uniform is also costing heavy on the non Naga drivers with some Naga drivers threatening them (non Naga) not to comply with the rule. The non Naga drivers questioned that if an auto is driven by a Naga with a non Naga passenger, the directive imposed will ‘on no account work and the passenger will not dare to raise voice’. The noncooperation from mostly the Naga drivers is encouraging many others to follow suit acknowledged an auto rickshaw driver.
However neither the district administration, the traffic police personnel or DDADU as a responsible union, could keep on tab whether the new rule was being seriously implemented.
