Around 328 stands had earlier been registered, but several have since disappeared, says Dakshina Kannada Auto Chalakara Sangha File pic.
Dakshina Kannada Auto Chalakara Sangha president Vishnumoorthy said the number of autorickshaws rose from around 5,000 after 2023 to more than 9,000 after the introduction of electric autos. He said around 328 stands had earlier been registered, but several have since disappeared, including four or five around Central Market and others near Taj Mahal Hotel, City Centre, TMA Pai Hall and Lalbagh. Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath said the city has more than 7,000 autorickshaw drivers, while around 79 designated auto stands had been lost over the years.
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With fewer designated spaces available, autorickshaws are forced to park on roads along Bendoorwell-Jyothi, Balmatta-Kankanady and Rosario stretches, Vishnumoorthy said. He said the shortage extends from Kankanady through Hampankatta to State Bank and other busy areas. The association has been raising the issue for around four years and has sought dedicated auto bays wherever space is available, he said. Prajesh, former president of Team Green City Auto Chalaka Malakara Sangha, said autorickshaw operators face a shortage of parking and are forced to park. MCC commissioner Rahul Ratnam Pandey said he would hold a meeting within a month to address the grievances, including the removal of four autorickshaw stands around the old Central Market building. He said even the existing stands lacked adequate space and urged the RTO, police and MCC to hold a joint meeting to find a solution. Protest over low fare On the recently revised autorickshaw fares in the district, Vishnumoorthy said the association was yet to receive clarity despite repeated attempts to meet the DC. He said the association, along with taluk-level unions, was considering a district-wide autorickshaw strike or agitation next week over the fare revision, though it had not taken a final decision.
Mangaluru : Autorickshaw drivers are jostling for parking space across the city, with the fleet nearly doubling in less than three years even as designated stands have failed to keep pace. V ishnumoorthy also cited the lack of parking facilities in several older buildings and suggested systematically developing available spaces, including at Nanthoor, into designated autorickshaw bays with proper entry and exit arrangements. The auto union raised the issue at the Prajaseva Andolana meeting Saturday. Download the TOI App.