Autos fleece at will at Trichy railway jn

Trichy: Unregulated autorickshaws have become a matter of concern for passengers frequenting Trichy railway junction as they not only fleece them but also impede movement of vehicles on the approach road.

With the three-wheelers swarming the approach zone, locals arriving in personal vehicles to drop or receive family members face a herculean task finding a parking spot and carry the luggage to platforms . Passengers say railway authorities should reintroduce a prepaid auto booking point to regulate fares and approach areas of the junction.The railway junction handles around 155 trains every day, and witnesses an average footfall of 50,000 passengers, the numbers varying on weekends and festival days.

A sizable chunk of passengers are senior citizens, people arriving to attend weddings, and tourists heading to temples. Their dependency on autorickshaws is high since the city’s public transport connectivity is in total disarray.Since passengers have to board multiple buses to reach several areas, autorickshaws persistently fleece them. The situation worsened post the recent fuel price hike, including that of CNG.

Railways said Trichy division has permitted a group of 150 autorickshaws to operate within the junction. But the group acts in unison in demanding fares, often Rs100 above the normal fares that autos outside the railway junction charge for the same destination .

“They won’t agree to negotiate. They want us to either travel on their terms or find a different vehicle. Other autorickshaws at the junction demand the same spiked fares,” Pushpak Jain, a rail passenger said.Passengers say the autos charge more if commuters have more luggage. Trichy junction has a prepaid booking point only for taxis as the one opened for autos in 2016-17 was abandoned. Passengers said a prepaid autorickshaw booking point with standard fares displayed for the public based on distance could help avoid arguments with auto drivers. As for those visiting to receive their kin, there are no designated points to park their cars or bikes with autos occupying most space closer to the entry points.“We are not getting adequate rides per day, so some of us may overcharge. The govt-prescribed tariff is 13 years old and outdated. After Covid-19, more three-wheelers have hit the road. Some of them are behaving in rude and unprofessional ways,” a representative of the autorickshaw union at railway junction said. Senior officials in Trichy division said they would take stock of the situation to come up with solutions for improving passengers’ satisfaction.

“We will look into how prepaid booking points function in other junctions,” an official said.