The drivers of nearly 150 electric autorickshaws in the city on Thursday approached the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) authorities with a call to initiate legal action against a section of motor workers’ union leaders who allegedly called for disrupting the service of e-rickshaws, citing the lack of city service permit.
Electric autorickshaw drivers approached the MVD after submitting their written petition to the Nadakkavu police in connection with a recent incident in which one of them was forced to stop the service midway. Along with the auto-rickshaw driver, a passenger who was insulted during the protest, also filed a separate petition.
“Some of the conventional autorickshaw drivers’ argument is that we should also secure city service permits for operations. There is no such provision for electric autorickshaws,” said E. Sreeraj, president of the Kozhikode District Electric Autorickshaw Drivers’ Committee. He said that the details of a drivers’ union leader who exhorted first to block electric autorickshaws were handed over to the police and the MVD for follow-up action. According to Mr. Sreeraj, many electric autorickshaw drivers were ill-treated by the motor workers’ union activists in the past with a claim that they were becoming jobless with the entry of electric vehicles. “On many occasions, we were finding it hard to get the support of the police to book such offenders and move the legal way against the injustice,” he claimed.
A member of the electric auto drivers’ committee said there were even moves to foil his team members’ meeting with the District Collector to discuss the issues. “We are in a situation to approach influential people to make our voice heard. There is no logic in the claim of a section of traditional drivers that we should secure permits for city service,” he said.
Fed up with the cold treatment, Some of the committee members also sent their grievances to the Transport Commissioner for immediate action. They also said there were calls from the officials to know the details of incidents. According to MVD sources, the city service permit and licence of traditional drivers engaged in attacking e-rickshaws would be recommended for immediate suspension.
