Bhubaneswar, Jan. 31: The state government has decided to restrict the number of autorickshaws in the city.

A proposal to this effect was mooted at a meeting of the Traffic Management Committee headed by the home secretary earlier this month. The committee consists of members from police, transport department, Bhubaneswar Development Authority and works department.

Transport officials said at present around 27,000 autorickshaws were registered with both the regional transport offices here and another 10,000 from the city outskirts.

"In the first phase, a detailed survey will be conducted regarding the existing public transport facilities," said regional transport officer, Bhubaneswar (II), S.K. Behera. Once the survey is complete, the authorities will take a call on the number of autorickshaws that would be allowed to ply on city roads.

General secretary of the Bhubaneswar Autorickshaw Mahasangha Padman Kumar Samal said: apprehends loss of livelihood for auto operators because of the new proposal.<> "Instead of putting a cap on the number of autorickshaws, the government should remove encroachment to widen the roads to decongest traffic. Restricting the number of vehicles will lead to loss of livelihood of many people. The introduction of city bus service and private cabs have already taken their toll on autorickshaw drivers."

A transport official claimed the proposal would ensure better livelihood for autorickshaw operators. He said: "Around 160 city buses ply in the city and 400 more will be added to the existing fleet which will enable passengers to get at least one at any point of time on the major routes of the city. So the feeder routes, which connect with the main roads, will be identified to ensure that the autorickshaw drivers are not affected."