Auto, cycle rickshaws permitted outside city

“Autos and cycle rickshaws are permitted to be operated from 7 am to 7 pm, with a driver and one passenger, outside the jurisdiction of Chennai police. However, the relaxation is not applicable in containment areas where auto and cycle rickshaw drivers are not allowed to operate,” the government said in a statement.

While permitting the operation of autos and cycle rickshaws, the government also issued guidelines that should be strictly followed. “The vehicles should be cleaned at least thrice with sanitisers, and the drivers should clean their hands with sanitisers regularly. Similarly, sanitisers should be kept available for passengers,” said the government statement.

There are also guidelines that the people who travel in these rickshaws should follow. “Both drivers and public should wear face masks while travelling. The public should extend support to the State government by following the guidelines,” added the government statement.

Since the implementation of the first phase of lockdown from the last week of March, the operation of autos and cycle rickshaws were banned by the State government. In the last two months, autos were only allowed to ferry people to hospitals and emergency services.

As this loss of livelihood crippled several thousand families, the drivers had urged the State government to permit the operation of autos. Based on their demands, the government granted permission to operate autos and cycle rickshaws from Saturday.