In a press release issued today, Nitin Pawar, one of the organisers of the Panchayat has stated that implementation of the RTA norms pertaining to ferrying of school children will affect parents as well as three-seater operators.

According to RTA norms, a three-seater autorickshaw can ferry six school children, while the number of children to be ferried in a six-seater autorickshaw has been fixed at 12.

Presently, 12-15 children are ferried in a three-seater, stated Pawar, adding that the Panchayat was willing to bring down the number to 10 children per three-seater autorickshaw.

A source in the Rickshaw Panchayat informed that the Panchayat was planning a massive public awareness campaign over the issue. ``Hundreds of forms requesting the RTA to allow ferrying of 10 children in three-seaters have been printed. These forms are being distributed among parents through rickshawvalle kaka. The forms will also be distributed among various chiefs of autorickshaw stands at a meeting to be held at the Panchayat office tomorrow,'' he informed this newspaper.

He further said that three-seater operators ferrying school children have been asked to distribute these forms among the parents whose children they ferry on a monthly-fare basis. The operators have also been asked to go door-to-door and approach parents, he added.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Indian Express Nitin Pawar said that six-seater autorickshaws cannot be allowed to ferry school children when the RTA has decided to keep them outside city limits. The question whether they ferry 12 children or 15 children is totally irrelevant, he added.

He also demanded that a committee presided over by Rickshaw Panchayat president Dr Baba Adhav should be appointed to study the issue.

``In 1994, the RTA had appointed a committee presided over by Balasaheb Mali, then deputy divisional commissioner, to study the problems of autorickshaw operators. The Mali committee had unanimously recommended formation of a sub-committee under Dr Baba Adhav to study and address the issue of ferrying of school children. However, till date this committee has not been formed. A concrete decision in this regard can only be taken after such a committee submits its report,'' he said.

Besides the issue of school children, tomorrow's meeting will also discuss fare hike following the hike in petrol prices and the feasibility of installing electronic meters as directed by the State Transport minister Divakar Ravate.