AGARTALA, January 23 (TIWN): The sixth slash in petrol price since 2014 has taken the price to rest at Rs. 57.65 from Rs. 72.00, and this must have brought a bit of relaxation for the drivers and the motor riders. But most surprisingly as part of the long going trend here at the capital city Agartala, the unruly auto rickshaw drivers even after the slash of the petrol price has been witnessed to be charging high and unfair fare, whereas the passengers keeps their protests swell against it. And the state govt. do keeps its trend hiking the fares to save the drivers across the state from petrol price hike.

Whenever petrol price is hiked, auto drivers are usually among the first to voice an opposition. Many auto drivers complain that they are badly hit not only with petrol price hike, but also with engine oil price hike.

The oil price hike is not visible and cannot be explained to people. Many three-wheelers running on petrol in the city would have been forced to halt work if not for auto-gas. But never the unruly auto drivers especially get a bit of relaxation even after the slash in the petrol prices. This is the sixth time that the petrol prices has been cut and rests at Rs. 57.65. And the passengers on the other have been protesting against the unfair auto fares across the state.

A section of deprived passengers today alleged that even after the slash in petrol price for the sixth time since previous year, the unruly auto drivers has been charging extremely high fares, while the state govt. has been playing a negative role to bring the situation under control. “Paying high fares to the auto drivers has become a trend now and has brought severe hurdles for us”, alleged the passengers. They further alleged that the slash in petrol price has brought no change in the fares across the state resulting the passengers to suffer at large.

“Besides, the bad behavior and the babugiris of the unruly auto drivers has stand tall here at the capital city” passengers alleged.

The state govt. do keeps its trend hiking the fares to save the drivers across the state from petrol price hike. But the administration failed to bring the unfair auto fares and the unruly drivers here at the capital city under control. Keeping their babugiri trend the unruly auto drivers showing a thumb to the HC order even started taking high fares from the deprived passengers and besides, the slash in petrol price has even failed to bring the situation under control. The haggling between passengers and auto drivers is a common occurrence.

The warning by the state govt. and the recent verdict of the HC to fix a rate chart on the three wheelers and others seems to have bowed down in front of the unruly auto drivers here at the capital city. It is mentionable here that inspite of giving show off warnings the state govt. supposed to have save the deprived passengers from the hand of the unruly auto drivers. Beside the state govt. also supposed to have taken a stock of the situation of the cut in petrol price and reduce the unfair auto fares.  

The Tripura High Court on its recent verdict has asked for fixing rate chart in every passenger vehicles including the auto-rickshaws by January 20. But keeping their babugiri trend the unruly auto drivers showing a thumb to the HC order have not fixed any rate charts till date. No fixed rate charts has been found in the passenger auto till today, whereas the drivers were supposed to fix the rate chart by January 20. Showing a thumb to the HC’s recent order the unruly drivers has been charging high price on their own way from the deprived passengers.