Diesel autos stay off-road for second day
Source: The Sangai Express
CCpur, February 02 2021:
A deadlock between auto owners and Joint Student Bodies of Churachandpur over passenger fare has practically sent diesel autos off-road for the second day even as negotiation meditated by the district administration today collapsed without a solution.
The student bodies made the call for reverting the fares back on Sunday as they claimed that doubling the fare is an undue hike and neither justifiable and acceptable.
Soon the auto owners held a meeting and decided to stay off-road for 7 hours.
However, the student bodies visibly irked by the auto owners' posture announced a ban on diesel autos before the decision to voluntarily stay off-road expired.
The deadlock has now effectively sent the diesel autos off-road for the second day.
A joint meeting between the stakeholders was convened by the district administration later today in an attempt to mediate a solution but the initiative failed as the stand-off ensued.
Sources said the district administration has suggested a middle path in the fare rates until a clear cut rate is fixed by the Government to settle the issue but this was rejected by the auto owners.
Currently the auto owners charge Rs 20 for every trip, however the student bodies have demanded that it be rolled back to Rs 10, as was the case in pre-Covid period.
A middle path of Rs 15 was suggested by the district authorities with Rs 10 for students, however the auto owners stood their ground for Rs 20 in general fare and a total free ride for students.
The meeting that went on for over 2 hours at DTC Hall here eventually ended without any resolution to end the deadlock.
It is learnt that the auto onwers were holding a separate meeting late into the night.