Title - Strike hits commuters

Commuters in the capital were in for a harrowing time on Friday as thousands of auto-rickshaws went off the streets of Ranchi in response to a strike call given by Jharkhand Pradesh Diesel Autochalak Mahasangh (JPDAM) against the district administration’s move to restrict movement of three-wheelers without permits.Hundreds of people were noticed waiting at crossings and roundabouts around the city for auto rickshaws, which were rare. Though 55 city buses did their rounds of the city, they were not enough to compensate for the 11,000 autos that did not ply.The striking auto drivers want the administration to stop seizing unauthorised vehicles till August 29 when the central government would make its stand clear on the issue of banning overage commercial vehicles.“After waiting half an hour, I was happy to notice a city bus. However, my happiness was short-lived as the bus was so crowded that I could not even think of boarding it,” said Sumitra Mukherjee (55), who was standing at Kanta Toli Chowk around 2pm. Mukherjee was bound for South Office Para near Doranda and she had already been waiting for an hour for transport.Passengers arriving at Ranchi railway station faced problems as they could not find transport. “I am waiting for more than half an hour for an auto-rickshaw. The hand-pulled rickshaws are asking for way too much. They are asking for Rs 40 to go a distance that would cost barely Rs 7 on autos,” said Oman Mallick, who was headed for Birsa bus stand from the station.

Similar was the scene at Sidhu Kanhu Park near Kanke Road.

Khagaria resident 55-year-old Basant Sharma was waiting for an auto rickshaw to Ranchi Institute Neuro Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS) where a relative had been admitted.

“Last time when I had come, I had noticed auto-rickshaws passing every minute from here for Kanke. But today the situation is different. Despite waiting for 45 minutes, I have not come across a single auto for Kanke,” he said.

Working president of JPDAM Mantu Lala claimed the strike had been successful on Friday and would be effective Saturday too. “Though we are concerned about inconveniencing commuters, our strike is for the survival of around 50,000 people who have lost their livelihood due to the district administration’s move to restrict auto-rickshaws without permits. While at least 6,000 auto rickshaws run every day in Ranchi Municipal Corporation area, permits have been given to only 2,300,” he said.