28,000 more autos to run riot on MMR streets

The city will soon get more autorickshaws as 28,620 permits that had lapsed over the past few years will be renewed in a process that should be completed in a “matter of days” as a top state transport official said.

All formalities have been completed, SK Sharma, principal secretary, transport, said. “The renewal should happen in a few days.”

People with new permits can buy new rickshaws apart from the 106,000 that already ply in the city. The issuance of permits had been frozen since 1998. With a manifold rise in the

population in suburbs, rickshaw unions, for a long time, wanted the freeze to be lifted.

In September 2011, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan agreed to the demands and the process began. In fact, even on Monday a delegation of the Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union led by Thampi Kurien asked the state transport department to expedite the process.

“There is a shortage of rickshaws in the suburbs and this decision would be a boon for all passengers,” Kurien told dna.

But the problem is with each rickshaw running almost 180km daily — most in the form of short trips of 10-15km — the congestion on the roads too would be just as real.

On average, the city adds almost 96,000 vehicles to its 1900-km road map every year.

State transport department figures say between 2002 and 2012, the number of vehicles registered with the city’s three RTOs went up from 10,69,499 to 20,35,051 in 2012 — a rise of 90.28%.

Between 1991 and 2005, a comprehensive transport study shows that cars have increased by 137%, two wheelers by 306%, autos by 420%, and taxis by 125%.