Regional Transport Authority (RTA) will enforce a colour code on autos in the capital and its district from Saturday, March 26, even as a leading state auto drivers' association has already issued a protest warning on Tuesday.
Talking to The Telegraph, RTA Rajesh Kumar Barwar said they had set Friday, March 25, as the date by which all legal autos, or three-wheelers with permits and paperwork in order, would have to paint their vehicles according to the decided colour code.
Owners of all three-wheelers with legal permits within Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) area need get their autos painted green by March 25. Those who ply outside RMC jurisdiction but within Ranchi district limits, will paint the body of their vehicles black and hood yellow. Pink auto or mahila auto, meant for women, would not have to change colour.
The painted autos will ply on the roads from March 26 onwards to distinguish between vehicles with permits and those without.
Currently, there are around 2,235 to 2,335 autos with legal permits for Ranchi district as a whole. But, anywhere between 8,000-10,000 diesel and petrol autos ply daily in the entire district, leading to traffic snarls and pollution.
Wouldn't this leash on thousands of three-wheelers without permits anger auto drivers? "We have held a series of meetings with auto associations and other stakeholders both at department and Ranchi traffic SP levels earlier this month to apprise them of the new rule, how to go about it and why we are doing this. They have agreed to cooperate. In any case, we will go ahead with the colour code as even Jharkhand High Court is monitoring us," Barwar said.
President of Jharkhand Pradesh Diesel Autochalak Mahasangh Dinesh Soni had a completely different view.
"We will start an agitation against the administration's plan to paint autos," he said. "We will assemble at Jaipal Singh Stadium on March 26 at 2pm and start an agitation against the administration's move that will deprive thousands of auto drivers from their job. Apart from this, so far it has not been clear which auto is running with proper permit and which is not," he said.
A traffic department official admitted they were expecting "tough times". "For sure, people who violate the law and face the axe will protest, like it happens every time. But, the top state machinery should not succumb to protests or strikes. We need to set apart legal and illegal autos plying on roads for long-term benefits such as decongested roads and less pollution," he said.
In this chaos, isn't there a chance that the owner of an auto without permit paints it green or black-and-yellow, depending on area, to pass off as legal? "This possibility was discussed during our interdepartmental meetings," Barwar said. "Yes, some autos without permits may paint the vehicles to fool authorities. So, during crackdown and permit checks, traffic police will check both colour and permits. Those caught will be fined and cases of forgery may also be filed," he said.
