Bengaluru: Pandemic fuels dip in takers for auto permits

BENGALURU: With the demand for autorickshaw rides falling after Covid-19 struck and work-from-home arrangements began, there are very few takers for new auto permits in the city.
In 2018-19, the transport department decided to issue 30,000 new auto permits in Bengaluru by 2023. This included 24,500 for LPG/CNG autos, 5,000 for electric ones, and 500 for pink autos.However, the department has issued only 10,000 permits so far. There are also no takers for pink autos. “Every year, we were supposed to issue 5,000 permits. We were planning to issue 15,000 permits by now, but only 10,000 have been given out because of low demand,” said VK Moosa, regional transport officer (autorickshaws), Shantinagar.
Many autorickshaw drivers say there has been no business following Covid. “When existing auto drivers are struggling to pay EMIs, why will new drivers obtain permits? Many financiers are also not giving loans for new autos. If they give permits to more auto drivers, it will affect existing drivers too,” said K Manjunath, a driver.
The Centre had stated that commercial transport licence (yellow badge) is not a prerequisite for driving light motor vehicles. However, the state has not issued a notification yet. “The Centre had stated that yellow badge is not compulsory, but the Karnataka transport department is still insisting on it. This is one of the reasons many drivers are not applying for permits,” said Ramesh Kumar, another auto driver plying in Indiranagar.
Getting a yellow badge is a time-consuming process. Drivers can apply only one year after obtaining a licence to drive commercial vehicles.
“If there are no takers for new permits, they can regularise illegal autos or give multiple permits to existing drivers,” Kumar added.
The transport department recently said around 35,000 illegal autorickshaws are plying on city roads.
Officials said they will issue autorickshaw permits to those who are permanent residents of Bengaluru and have commercial transport licence. An applicant will be allocated one permit only and s/he shouldn’t have any other autorickshaw permit. The permit fee will be Rs 500.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike had, in 2017, announced a women-driven autorickshaw scheme. However, not a single pink auto has hit Bengaluru roads so far. The civic body had announced a subsidy of Rs 80,000 per pink auto for women availing permits. The 500 pink autos were to be equipped with GPS and CCTV cameras. However, stringent conditions like ferrying only women and children, congested roads, and very few women having commercial licences have resulted in the poor response.