Kerala govt withdraws plan to make 'free ride if meter isn't running' stickers mandatory on auto-rickshaws

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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has decided to withdraw its plan to make the 'free ride if meter isn't running' stickers mandatory on auto-rickshaws. This decision came after a discussion between Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar and leaders of the auto-rickshaw union. The government had initially issued an order requiring the sticker to be affixed to all auto-rickshaws, but following feedback from union leaders about the practical difficulties of implementing the measure, the decision was reversed.

The Motor Vehicle Department had earlier mandated the sticker as a condition for issuing fitness certificates to auto-rickshaws. However, after the meeting with union leaders, it was agreed that the sticker would not be made mandatory. This move has also led the auto workers to call off a strike that was scheduled for March 18.

The sticker, which read "free ride if the meter is not running," was initially set to be implemented from March 1, with the aim of addressing complaints about auto-rickshaw drivers charging excessive fares and operating without meters. However, despite the order, most auto-rickshaws did not adhere to the new requirement. The Auto Workers Union had expressed resistance, arguing that their vehicles were already running with meters on and they would not accept the imposed sticker measure.

In response to numerous complaints from the public, the Transport Department had introduced the sticker as a way to ensure that passengers were not overcharged when meters were not in use. However, the government has now decided to retract the order, following the discussions with the auto-rickshaw union.