Agartala, June 3 (TIWN): Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey today issued terse warning for auto-rickshaw drivers saying that the Department would issue strict action against any errant driver in the three-wheeler segment. No defiance of the existing regulations under Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 would be tolerated, Dey said.

Speaking to reporters at the civil secretariat here this evening, the minister said that the Department is clear about the objective of enforcing a maximum of Rs. 6 fare per for petrol and diesel-run motorized three-wheelers and Rs. 5.50 for CNG run vehicles of the same segment. The cumulative fare would be divided among three passengers, he said adding that any additional fare above the approved fare rate as fixed in November, 2012 wouldn’t be tolerated.

Asked about his take on the sporadic reactions from auto-rickshaw drivers across Agartala for the past three days, Transport Minister Dey said, “Reactions are democratic rights. At the government, we feel that people can place their protests or discontent before the government in democratic manner”. “Such sporadic incidents where drivers and passengers become polarized in opposite sides is not expected”, the minister added.

Dey further said that the Transport Department would offer assistance to decide on fixation of fares on route-basis if the government is approached by concerned stakeholders.

The minister added that the Transport Department would be soon launching 100 new town buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The buses are expected to hit the streets by the next six months, he said adding that the pressure from three-wheeler segment would be largely compensated after the public transport is strengthened. He added that 53 town buses are currently operational in Agartala city. Seventeen new buses that recently arrived are expected to be launched soon. Tripura was granted 75 town buses under JNNURM in the first phase out of which fund sanction for five buses is still waiting.

The state government recently finished official formalities of conducting tender and finalizing rates to the central government authorities in the second phase of JNNURM.