AGARTALA, August 13 (TIWN): In yet another salvo to the ruling CPI (M) government, the High Court of Tripura issued an interim verdict on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Tuesday saying that auto-rickshaws could carry three passengers and not four passengers as mandated by the CITU backed auto-rickshaw unions statewide.A division bench of the High Court comprising of Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Subhashish Talapatra gave a set of instructions to be followed including ensuring three passengers in auto-rickshaws, mandatory installation and use of meters in the three-wheeler vehicles, identification and notification of specific bus stops and time schedule of buses moving in specific routes. The Court further asked the Transport Department to submit a report on progress over the issues by the next thirty days.

The High Court offered a logical solution to the confusion created by the CPI (M) trade union front – CITU and said that the Transport Department would have to fix a proper fare rate for auto-rickshaws considering issues of the drivers and passengers.

“Transport is a basic facility to be given to the people. The government is responsible to make sure that people are able to commute from place to place to meet certain requirements that he or she might have”, Chief Justice Gupta said and instructed the state government to inform its take on twenty-three issues mentioned in the PIL to the Court by the four weeks.

The High Court would hear the PIL on September 22 next.

The CITU was today visibly taken aback by the move of the High Court.

Asked about his take on the issue, CITU president Pijush Nag today said that the Union didn’t yet decide anything. “We have just come to know about the High Court order. We sure will obey the order as anybody else would have to do. But we will discuss over the issue today”, he said.

The High Court of Tripura issued an order on June 01 earlier this year mandating upper permissible limit of carrying four persons including three passengers and the driver on auto-rickshaws following which the CITU and its subsidiary left backed workers’ unions started spreading confusion saying that High Court order indicated four passengers and a driver.

Despite numerous clarifications from the Court and the minister for transport, the auto-rickshaw driver syndicates maintained the arrogance and explained passengers that the arrangement was for their own good. Yet, fares were hiked from Rs. 10 to Rs. 20 for every passenger in Anandanagar-Motorstand route, Nagerjala-GB Chowmuhani route following which passengers blocked few roads for hours.