Ketou Nagi
Dimapur
The RTA, Dimapur has done a reasonable work in revising the auto-rickshaw fare, 2017. Fare price have been fixed taking into account both the passenger and driver. With no other means of public transport, the public of Dimapur solely rely on auto-rickshaw. It is an aspect of our city. The commuters of auto-rickshaw are mostly people in need, who don’t have a vehicle or who don’t know how to drive/ride. Being a carrier of the needy, the RTA has applied proper reasoning/logic in revising its fare. For which, the public (especially the passenger) ought to praise the RTA, Dimapur in thinking about our welfare.
The DDADU has resented at the revision as unfair for town trip in 2014 was Rs. 35 and now (2017), it’s Rs. 30 for specified route and town area. The factor was not taken into consideration that in 2014, petrol prices was above Rs. 70 and only during Oct-Dec ‘14, it came down to above mid Rs. 60 range. Then petrol prices in 2015 came to below the mid Rs. 60 range even touching the above mid Rs. 50 range. In Feb 2015, RTA revised the town trip to Rs. 30 but it was not followed in spirit. Since then, petrol prices remained in the Rs. 60 range touching the Rs. 70 range once this year (2017). In other parts of the country, fare prices go up and down with change in fuel prices. However, in Nagaland, fare prices keep on going up or remain the same as the last hike fare even though fuel prices come down.
In 2014, even though hire rate was Rs. 35 and passenger rate was Rs. 10, fare prices of hire rate was hiked to Rs. 40 and passenger rate to Rs. 15 on account of hike in fuel prices by the auto drivers; without any notification by the RTA. Ever since, it remained the same till date. Never was the fare decreased by the auto drivers even when petrol price descended. In Dimapur city, the distance for a town trip is at the most 2-3 km max. Even in case of passenger rate from DC Court Junction, Signal Angami, Thahekhu and Kuda, the distance to main town is 3-4 km max. On an average (considering all situations), auto-rickshaws give a mileage of 20-25 km per litre. Doing the math, this is too much according to the distance and rate from a layman perspective. However the RTA considering all the factors of fuel consumption, waiting period between trips, empty running, total trips possible in a day, etc, must have set the revised fare for the welfare of its citizen; both the driver and passenger.
Getting a two-wheeler saves lot than taking an auto-rickshaw. However, two-wheeler is costly and not everyone can ride one. For an ordinary wage earner, it will take a lot to purchase one considering its security aspect too. So, auto-rickshaw is the only remedy for the needy and helpless people of Dimapur unless district administration provides bus service to relieve the needy poor people of the high fare prices. Mostly the down trodden, hapless and needy public requires the service of auto-rickshaw. I, and on behalf of the passengers, appeal to the DDADU to understand the problems faced by the commuters/commoners as we both need each other for our survival and not to strike against the RTA revised rate as it is revised for our overall welfare. Please think for you and for your majority poor passengers too. We are all the same trying to make our living, whether by driving or being a wage-earner.
