Most of Dhanbad’s 10,000-odd auto-rickshaws stayed off the road on Tuesday, saying the state government’s elaborate guidelines, including one which limit the number of passengers to two, were impractical and unviable.

Additionally, drivers also cited several issues, primarily difficulties in renewing permits that had expired during the lockdown and sought a revised fare structure so as not to run into problems with customers.

A delegation of auto drivers met Dhanbad SDO Raj Maheshwaram with several demands, including permission to ferry four passengers instead of two as prescribed by the government and to allow passengers to disembark at intermediate stops.

The delegation also wanted the district administration to fix fares.

Negotiations, however, remained inconclusive as the SDO expressed his inability to relax government guidelines. Instead, he instructed drivers to follow the guidelines strictly. However, he said he was willing to consider some of the other demands, especially on fares and authorised stoppages.

President of Jharkhand Pariwahan Mazdoor Union Sunil Singh said it was virtually impossible to operate autos in accordance with the specified guidelines.

“To ferry only two passengers instead of the usual 10 will be totally unviable at present fares. We will not even be able to meet fuel expenses,” he said.

Singh said the SDO refused to allow autos to stop at intermediate stoppages to pick up and/or drop off passengers. “This rule will further complicate matters as we will not be able to take passengers going to different destinations,” he explained.

SDO Maheshwaram ruled out any relaxation in auto guidelines, but said he was looking into some the other demands.

“We are exploring ways to provide some concession with regard to extending expired permits as the transport department office was shut during the lockdown because of which many drivers could not renew their permits,” he said.

The SDO said the administration was also thinking of notifying fares to avoid confusion and considering steps to increase the number of stoppages so that drivers and commuters were not inconvenienced.