Mangaluru : Nearly four years after the process started, the Dakshina Kannada district administration has finally issued orders to an agency to operate a prepaid autorickshaw counter at Mangaluru Junction (Kankanady) Railway Station.

Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim told  that he has issued the orders last week itself. According to Deputy Commissioner of Transport, Mangaluru, Afzal Ahmed Khan, Mangaluru-based Willy’s Auto Park, the only agency which was ready to operate the counter at Rs. 1 service charge, has been given the order.

However, it is still not known when the selected agency would start the operations. Mr. Khan said it can commence operations at any time. There would be no formality of inauguration etc.

Attempts to open a prepaid autorickshaw counter at Mangaluru Junction were in limbo for various reasons, including the latest one where the Southern Railway had demanded sharing of the service charge 50:50. Following district administration’s claim that such an arrangement would not be feasible for the counter operator, the SR relented and allowed operation of the counter without that condition.

Divisional Railway Manager of Southern Railway’s Palakkad Division Anand Prakash had told The Hindu last week that he had cleared the proposal and the district administration was free to commence the operations any time.

Autorickshaw operators however would have to pay the parking charges, applicable for all commercial vehicles making use of the railway premises. Also, if the operator/district administration use the prepaid counter to display any advertisement, railway rules governing advertisements, would apply, he had said.

Presently, autorickshaw operators charge passengers at their will, making commuting to and from the station a costly affairs.