Daijiworld Media Nework – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Oct 22: The new rule that those who want to get driving licences to run their auto rickshaws should compulsorily have passed eighth standard, and that they need to obtain Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) licence to be able to drive auto rickshaws, has come as a bolt from the blue for the auto drivers.
The rules have also been ammended to prescribe that those who want to operate autos need to obtain Passenger Service Vehicle Badges (PSVB). The fact that the drivers should possess auto rickshaw driving licence and light motor vehicle licence, and that they need to obtain PSVB without fail, has put the prospects of lowly educated auto drivers in a fix.
In the past, many of the unemployed youth sought to become auto drivers because of easy loan availability and want of any mandatory rules. Regional transport officer, Seva Nayak, said that the new applicants need to adhere to education qualification rule and have PSVB in their names, can work as before.
Dakshina Kannada district general secretary of the Federation of Karnataka Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union, L T Suvarna, said that as per rough estimates, about a half of 12,000 auto drivers in the city do not conform to minimum education qualification. He particularly lambasted the new rule about obtaining LMV licence, even after getting PSVB. He said that a state-wide protest against the new ammendments will be organized all over the state shortly against the recent ammendments. He also held himself strongly against the rule that the auto drivers need to obtain fitness certificates only from government doctors, and not from doctors practising privately as before.