Railways to directly operate  auto-rickshaw service in Kannur railway station

The auto counter will start functioning from July first week. The railway is planning to allocate passes to 100 autos with a town permit in the first stage with a permit fee of Rs 750 which has to be renewed every three months. The drivers have to present a certificate from the police that they have not been involved in any criminal cases to ensure the safety of the passengers. Railways will provide identity cards to these drivers and also place railway stickers on the auto. Once it is launched, the authorities would not allow other drivers to pick up passengers from the station.

“We have decided to introduce such a system following a large number of complaints from the passengers. The passengers who reach the station late at night are having issues with the drivers over the rate. There were incidents that some auto drivers were not willing to take some trips. Nobody has the details of the drivers’ and it causes safety concerns. So as a solution to the problem, we are introducing an auto counter controlled by the railway inside the station compound. We will not allow the drivers to operate if any passengers raise a complaint against the driver,” a railway official said.