Pre-paid Auto-Rickshaw’ Launched at Pune Railway Station, No Senior Railway Official Present

Reported by Tikam Shekhawat

Pune, 27th July 2024: To facilitate hassle-free movement for passengers, the ‘Rickshaw Mitra’ pre-paid auto-rickshaw service is launched today at Pune Railway Station. This service aims to provide significant relief to passengers arriving and departing during odd hours and serves as an added measure to ensure women’s safety.

The service was inaugurated by Chandrakant Patil, Minister for Higher & Technical Education, Maharashtra State. The initiative has been a collaborative effort supported by Pune Police, with significant focus from Commissioner Amitesh Kumar and Additional Commissioner Manoj Patil, who have been working on this project for some time. DCP (Traffic) Rohidas Pawar and his team have been closely coordinating with the Rickshaw Union for the past few months.

Following the launch, Minister Chandrakant Patil urged rickshaw owners to support passengers by ensuring quick availability. He also announced incentives for rickshaw owners, including a monthly gas filling coupon worth ₹1000 and two sets of Uniforms. Additionally, he assured that Rickshaw spare parts would be provided at reasonable prices.

Manoj Patil, Addl CP, Pune Police, addressed the rickshaw drivers, emphasizing the importance of quick and efficient service for passengers to ensure a positive experience. The ‘Rickshaw Mitra’ service will initially be on a trial run for three months. Dr Keshav Kshirsagar, leader of Rickshaw Union in coordination with Pune Police is looking after the operations of the project.

Despite the launch being held at Pune Railway Station, and the presence of State Ministers and other top officials of Pune Police Police & RTO, Surprisingly no senior railway official was present at the event. Attendees expressed disappointment, feeling that Pune Railway officials are not concerned about customer support and satisfaction, possibly enjoying their weekend rest instead.

The event was also attended by MLA Sunil Kamble, RTO Pune Archana Gaikwad, and DCP Rohidas Pawar, all expressing their support for this initiative aimed at improving public transportation in Pune.