Siliguri, Feb. 3 -- A protest erupted in Siliguri as the police administration launched a crackdown against e-autos bearing Jalpaiguri registration numbers.
According to the rules, these vehicles, registered under WB71, are not permitted to operate within Siliguri city limits. However, many drivers, unaware of this restriction, have been plying their autos, leading to police action.
E-auto drivers staged a protest demonstration at Panitanki More and Hasmi Chawk on Monday, demanding justice. Their primary allegation was against the showroom that sold them these vehicles without properly informing them about the registration restrictions.
"We have been deceived by the showrooms. As per the law, they were supposed to provide us with a certificate clearly stating where we can operate our vehicles. But they did not give us any such document. Now, the police are stopping us from operating in Siliguri," said Ratan Mazumder, Working President of the E-Auto Drivers Association.
He further asked why residents of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area were not allowed to drive their vehicles on local roads. "What will we do now? We need a solution. We have also brought this issue to the attention of Mayor Gautam Deb," he added. There are around 300 such e-autos plying in Siliguri.
As tensions escalated, Mahesh Singh, the Officer-in-Charge of Panitanki Traffic Outpost, arrived at Hasmi Chawk to address the protesters. He issued a strict warning that despite previous notices, any e-auto found violating the rules would be fined. Following this, the protesters marched to the showroom located at Jhankar More, demanding answers and a resolution to their plight.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.