Agartala, Oct 14 (TIWN): Resentment is brewing among the passengers travel from different parts of the capital city Agartala as most of the auto-rickshaw drivers continue to charge high fares from passengers due to the negligence of the Tripura government and concerned department.

A section of auto-rickshaw drivers are charging fare from the passengers as per their own desire. As a result the regular passengers, travelling from here to there have been facing crucial problem.

Some of the passengers alleged that a vast number of auto-rickshaw drivers charge more than double fare in the evening time and carry 4-5 passengers regularly.  As a result, the passengers are bound to travel by paying high fare.

In a judgment delivered by the High Court (HC) of Tripura, the auto rickshaws were directed to take only 3 passengers at a time. Though the order of the HC is being followed now, on the streets of Agartala but along with that the fare has also been doubled.

As an instance, the auto fare from Nagerjola to Math Chowmohani is Rs. 12 to 15 at present where 3 to 4 months earlier the same was Rs. 6 or Rs. 7. Furthermore, the HC had also directed the state government to install meters in the auto rickshaws apart from running Town Buses from morning 6 to 10 pm covering all the routes within the capital city. Nevertheless, the state government has shown no positive response to the instructions of the HC, till today.

Under the shadow of CITU, the self imposed law makers alias auto drivers have further hiked the auto fares though an unauthorized hike was already in force since last June 1. The city bus service under the union government project is operative in the interiors and remote places instead of main city and city outskirts.

Surprisingly, the state government, transport department, traffic police department and police administration are playing role as mute spectators instead of taking initiative to control the indulgency of auto-rickshaw drivers.