Regulate movement of auto rickshaws : Park outside Imphal
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 17 2018 -

With diesel autos staying off the road...Traffic congestion declines :: Pix - TSE

No one can and will refute this. During the two days strike by the drivers’ body of auto rickshaws, Tata Magics and Wingers, traffic congestion saw a sharp decline on all the major roads of Imphal.

Not to mention a sharp drop in the level of noise pollution and the dust and smoke kicked up by the auto rickshaws, Tata Magics and Wingers.

To many in Imphal this must have come like a breath of fresh air, used as they are to the chaotic traffic congestion on all the major roads of Imphal but to view the issue only from this angle would be a folly.

Going off the road impacted not only the auto drivers and the people in general but also the daily wage earners who earn a living by bringing agricultural produce, fish and other items to the commercial areas of Imphal.

In other words, it is not only the auto drivers who depend on the movement of their vehicles to feed and educate their family and children, but a great more people who earn daily by selling their produce from the villages/other districts at the commercial centres of Imphal.

The service that auto rickshaws, Tata Magics and Wingers dispense daily should be seen in the correct perspectives and accordingly understood.

This is not to say that the Government’s plan to deal with the chaotic vehicular movement in Imphal should be discarded, but banning auto rickshaws in Imphal is not and cannot be the answer.

As suggested in an earlier commentary here, the Government should instead work to regulate the inflow of traffic to Imphal.

Why not work out a model wherein auto-rickshaws enter the commercial areas of Imphal in batches and are made to park outside Imphal.

The Government may work out a model in such a way that auto rickshaws enter the commercial areas of Imphal only to drop passengers, pick them up and then leave.

The autos and other commercial vehicles such as Tata Magics and Wingers may be made to park at specified zones.

For example autos and other commercial vehicles coming from Bishnupur district side may be made to park somewhere near the Imphal airport and they may be made to enter Imphal in batches to drop and pick up passengers.

Under no circumstances should they be allowed to park inside the commercial areas.

The parking slots presently reserved for auto-rickshaws and other commercial vehicles can be done away with.

Drop and pick up passengers and then move. This is one way of dealing with the increasing traffic congestion in Imphal.

It also goes without saying that traffic sense needs to be drilled into the head of all the auto-drivers.

Over taking from the left, stopping suddenly to pick up passengers are traffic nuisances that can be done away with.

Stepping over the zebra crossing when signalled to stop at any traffic point, crowding the left side thus blocking the free way given to vehicles which are taking the left turn.

These are all traffic nuisances which can be dealt with by the drivers themselves.

At the moment, no official notification has been issued to ban the entry of auto-rickshaws and the other commercial vehicles and this must be noted too by the auto drivers.

What however should not be forgotten is the fact that these commercial vehicles add to the traffic chaos and something needs to be done to regulate them.