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The deserted auto-rickshaw stand at Tatanagar station on Thursday. (Bhola Prasad)
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Kadma resident Sumona Ghosh was in for a shock on Thursday morning. The 35-year-old private firm employee, who got down from the Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express, was greeted with an unfamiliar sight — a deserted auto-rickshaw stand at Tatanagar railway station.
Ghosh, who had to drag her luggage to the station gate before finally being able to hop on a Kadma-bound auto, was one of the many passengers who suffered on Thursday as auto-rickshaw drivers stayed away from the parking slots to protest against a fee of Rs 5 that was imposed on them by the Chkradharpur railway division.
The fee, that has be paid every time the drivers entered the station’s parking premises to make a drop or a pick-up, was introduced with the aim of checking “anti-social” activities by rogue auto drivers.
Though the new rule had come into effect on Tuesday itself, the drivers were hoping for a solution at a meeting with the railway authorities on Wednesday. However, the meeting was later postponed to Friday prompting the auto-rickshaw drivers to protest from Thursday morning.
The auto drivers, more than 100 in number under the banner of Shikshit Berozgar Tempo Chalak Sangh vowed not to enter the station premises with their vehicles till the fee was withdrawn.
“We will continue parking our vehicle outside the station premises till the new rule is withdrawn,” said S K Jha, an auto driver and member of the Sangh.
He added that on Friday a delegation of auto-rickshaw drivers were also expected to meet divisional railway manager Achal Khare during her visit to the Tatanagar station.
Station manager of Tatanagar Rajeshwar Choudhary, however, said he had not received any complaints from the passengers so far.
“With autos staying away from the parking slots, the passengers are being forced to walk till the exit gates of the station at least for getting conveyance, but, the passengers have not lodged a complaint with us yet,” Choudhary said.
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