Union advisory falls on deaf ears of errant auto drivers in Kolkata

KOLKATA: A day after the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC) on clearly spelt out they will not stand by any auto driver who flouts rules and issued an 11-point agenda for auto drivers that ranged from sticking to traffic norms to behave well with passengers, drivers of at least one route between Jorabagan and Ultadanga blocked roads, pulled out passengers from autos and then suspended the autos service for more than three hours on Monday as cops and some union leaders tried to implement the points discussed in the agenda on Sunday.
Around 12 noon, as policemen at Jorabagan began booking auto drivers who did not have valid vehicle documents and a valid license, the first two points mentioned in Sunday’s 11 point checklist, a large group of auto drivers refused to drive their three wheelers as a mark of protest blocked the road near Muchibazar crossing and then began pulling out passengers and shoo away auto drivers willing to take passengers. “I was just about to get in an auto with my daughter at Muchibazar crossing when two men stopped the auto and almost pulled us out by our hands. They also forced the auto driver to join their blockade,” said Sumita Dutta, a homemaker. This happened a day after union leaders like Subrata Mukherjee and transport minister Subhendu Adhikari had asked the drivers to behave well with passengers.
The blockade was finally withdrawn and auto service normalized after the officer in charge of the Shyambazar traffic guard met the agitating auto drivers and suspended the drive for the day. “No matter how much we try to rein in or educate them, the auto drivers deploy such arm twisting tactics that we have to let them go even as they flout the norms,” said a traffic sergeant.