K M Dayashankar
Autos can convert any road as their parking adda by erecting a sign board claiming as ‘auto-stand’
They overload the autos and fleece the passengers with heavy charges as they do not have meters
More than 80 per cent autos arrive from rural areas and causing traffic woes in Karimnagar town, which attained dubious distinction for narrow roads
It is time for Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar to have a look at the plight of road-users of Karimnagar
KARIMNAGAR, JULY 17, 2024: Even as the Karimnagar City has been proclaimed as ‘Smart City’ and progressing in leaps and bounds with the addition of several villages into the fold of Karimnagar Municipal Corporation and addition of several new vehicles on to the roads daily, thanks to the ‘so-called visionary’ leaders of Karimnagar town, the wide roads have been converted into narrow roads adding to the woes of the people of the town.
The existing roads were narrowed by constructing footpaths, which have become a safe-haven for the traders and others to encroach and cause nuisance in the town and no pedestrians are allowed to walk on them. Besides, the unruly auto-rickshaw menace is yet another issue which has been added to the Karimnagar city residents’ woes.
The autos encroach the narrow roads by parking their vehicles illegally causing traffic snarls in various parts of the town. Name any locality, the autos have their own ‘addas’ (auto stands) by erecting the signboards claiming the auto stand numbers. Ironically, none of the officials such as traffic, municipality or transport authorities have allocated the ‘auto stands’. But, the auto-wallahs on their own erect the sign board and claim that the area belongs to them as their adda and encroach the roads causing traffic snarls.
For example, the RTC authorities had allocated site for the autos to park on their premises to pick up the commuters. But, the auto-wallahs created around five parking lots around the RTC bus station complex causing umpteen woes to the vehicle-users as well as the commuters of the RTC. They encroached ZP office area, opposite to bus stand area (entry point), road towards Prathima multiplex, out-gate and in-gate of bus station complex at the bus station complex alone. Incidentally, the auto-wallahs erect a traffic stopper to park their vehicles on road leadings towards Prathima hotel.
It is also shocking to see that the auto-wallahs have erected a sign board in front of the Collectorate claiming that it is their ‘auto-stand’ and park their vehicles illegally. They encroached the road opposite to DCCB main branch, BSNL office, MPDO office, Indira chowk, Tower circle, Civil hospital area, JK medicals and all places. The autos park vehicles haphazardly and would not allow the mandatory ‘free-left’ movement of the vehicles at the traffic junctions.
“The autos are not menace. They are remorseless utter morons. They ferry overloaded passengers illegally against the norms of carrying only three persons in an auto. Besides, the reckless driving and abrupt stoppages by them in the middle of the roads causing accidents. They also fleece the commuters at their will as there are no meters”, said a representative of Lok Satta udyama samstha.
Lok Satta udyama samstha Karimnagar town convenor K S Narayana demanding that the district authorities should check the auto-menace or else utter chaos would prevail in the future. How one can encroach the narrow road by erecting a sign board claiming that it is auto stand and cause nuisance to road users and pedestrians, he asked.
