Bombay high court directs Maharashtra Transport Commissioner to review autorickshaw licensing policy on plea from Pune union

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court directed Maharashtra's Transport Commissioner to hear the Pune-based Sawkash Autorickshaw Union and decide whether the 'open licensing policy' for autorickshaws, can be stopped to limit the number of autos, particularly for Pune.
The union, through its advocate Akshay Deshmukh, questioned the open licensing policy of the state, especially in Pune arguing that due to the open permit given to the autorickshaw drivers under the 2017 policy, there was a significant increase in the number of autorickshaws on the roads. This increase adversely impacted the business of the existing autorickshaws, which, as a consequence, could not repay auto loans.
The HC division bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Advait Sethna on March 25 disposed of the petition saying it was a State's policy decision. If the auto union finds it "arbitrary or in any manner illegal or it is prejudicially affecting" the rickshaw owners or society at large, it was for the govt to decide on a representation made by the petitioner to the state transport commissioner, the HC said in its order.
The auto union can approach the commissioner on April 1 and the exercise be undertaken in four weeks after which the state to communicate its decision to the Pune union, said the HC.
The HC said, the "primary contention of the petitioner is that the open licensing policy being followed by the State of Maharashtra needs to be reviewed more particularly in its applicability to the Regional Transport Office, Pune so as to limit the issuance of the auto rickshaw licenses.''