Team Herald
PANJIM: The six-seater vehicle operators have locked horns with the Transport Department over the classification of the vehicle.
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The issue has cropped after most of the three-wheeled six-seater autorickshaws have been now changed to four-wheeler and the department insisting that the taxi fare be made applicable to them while the operators claiming that their vehicle is classified as autorickshaws and that they be allowed to continue with the autorickshaw fares.
A delegation of South Goa Six-Seater Operators Association on Monday met Director of Transport Rajan Satardekar in vain. After lot of discussion, the operators agreed to fit digital meters but demanded that they be allowed to continue with the autorickshaw fares.
After meeting the director, South Goa Six-Seater Operators Association President Francis D’Silva alias Packlo told Herald that the department is committing contempt of court order. He pointed out that in September 2011, the State Transport Appellate Tribunal presiding officer passed an order directing the Transport Department to process the permit by allowing the replacement of the vehicle with the new as per the Section 83 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
D’Silva further said that the presiding officer has also classified the vehicle with 6+1 passengers as motorcab as per the M V Act and therefore their vehicles be considered as autorickshaws and not taxis and that three or four wheels should not be the determining factor.
According to D’Silva, the State Transport Appellate Tribunal has clearly stated that the number of wheels on a vehicle do not in any manner change the definition of the Act or create different class of vehicle.
He said that the Section 83 of the Act allows permit holder to replace any vehicle covered by the permit by any other vehicle of the same nature.
D’Silva said that the Assistant Director of Transport, Margao was committing contempt of court and threatened to approach the court if the vehicle is not classified as an autorickshaw as per the Act.
“After lot of discussion we have agreed to fit digital meters. Though the meter would be supplied free by the government we will have to pay additional charges of Rs 4,500 per year. But we want our vehicle to be classified as autorickshaw and not a taxi and to allow us to charge auto fares,” D’Silva said.
