One-passenger rule disappoints autorickshaw drivers in city

When they hit the road on Tuesday morning, autorickshaw drivers did not find many customers and they were forced to turn down the passengers when more than one person approached.

“The government should allow at least two people to travel in autorickshaws. If we refuse, people just walk away,” complained R Gajendran, a driver from Tambaram. Auto drivers lamented about the government restricting the operation of autorickshas and taxis for specific purposes of ferrying passengers to and from airports and railway stations. “Even before the lockdown, it was office goers who would normally ride alone. Otherwise, it would be often two or three people together. Most of the time, it will be a couple or a family,” said K Anwar, a driver from Triplicane, who had just two rides on Tuesday.

The plight of the auto drivers remains the same across the State. Autorickshaws were allowed to operate in the rest of the State from May 23, except Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Auto Thozhilalar Sammelanam general secretary M Sivaji said that not many people would hire autorickshaw alone.

“If a person wanted to visit the hospital, he or she would be accompanied by another person. The government should allow auto drivers to take two passengers at a time. As flights are allowed to carry passengers up to its full seating capacity and passengers were allowed to sit next to each other, the government should allow autorickshaws to carry two passengers,” he said.

He welcomed government’s other norms, including keeping hand sanitizers in the vehicle for passengers, wearing of masks by both drivers and passengers and disinfection of the auto-rickshaw three times a day.