Rourkela: The untimely closure of the pre-paid auto-rickshaw stand at the railway station here is causing immense hardships to passengers. Upon their arrival here, the passengers are fleeced by local auto drivers who demand astronomical sums for taking them to their respective destinations. Passengers have been demanding for the pre-paid services, but nothing has been done for the last seven years, locals informed. The pre-paid auto-rickshaw stand at the railway station was conceived by former ADM Manisha Banerjee in 2016. The services were launched in 2017, but within two months it was shut down. The cabin from which the services were operating remains deserted now. Since then it has been a nightmare for passengers arriving here at the railway station. Not only are they charged huge amounts, they have to face other forms of harassment. And god forbid if they arrive late in the night. Then they are at the mercy of the auto drivers.
The story of an aged couple who arrived late in the night still does the rounds. They had to wait for more than two hours, but they did not get any auto. They appealed to the RPF and GRP personnel present at the station to help them, but nothing materialised. Finally, it was their neighbour who came to their rescue and arrived at the station to take them home. The situation still persists, but it appears that the administration is in no mood to help out the passengers. At times it appears that even the police are in cahoots with the auto rickshaw drivers. Passengers are charged astronomical sums for going to places like Chhend, Koel Nagar, Fertiliser Township, Panposh, Bondamunda and other areas. “When will the administration and police help us,” passengers lamented. Narrating her traumatic experience one lady told this correspondent, “I arrived from Kolkata early in the morning. However, the auto drivers prevented my son from taking me back home unless we hired one of them. Only when I shouted at them, they relented and let us go.”
