Passenger and aircraft movements at the Coimbatore Airport have soared thanks to economic boom and entry of low cost airlines. Airport Director K. Hemalatha said SilkAir was planning to operate a weekly thrice service from Coimbatore to Singapore (to and fro flight) from October 28. The flight scheduled for Wednesday, Friday and Sunday will arrive at 11.30 p.m. and depart at 00.20 a.m. The airline is planning to operate A319 or A320 aircraft (120 or 180 seats respectively).
The Coimbatore–Singapore flight service becomes the second international connectivity for Coimbatore next to the Coimbatore– Sharjah weekly thrice service by Indian. Airport sources said Sri Lankan Airlines had evinced interest in operating a service from Coimbatore to Colombo and was even planning to have five services a week.
A team from the airline is coming to Coimbatore this week to finalise arrangements. Sources said there had been enquiries for the feasibility of a Coimbatore–Dubai connectivity and one of the Gulf-based airlines was likely to grab it. Spice Jet Airways is planning to operate services from Coimbatore with Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai likely to be the destinations. A Chennai-based firm ‘Dravidian Air’ was planning to operate services connecting major airports in the four southern states.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Elgi Equipments bags a huge deal
The Coimbatore-based Elgi Equipments Ltd., one of the largest and most integrated compressor manufacturers in Asia, has sealed a major turnkey deal with Adani Power Ltd for the supply of 12 oil-free compressors. According to a company release, the order, which is worth Rs 6.1 crore, will consolidate Elgi’s strong position in the power sector in India.
These compressors will be installed in the 4X330 MW thermal power plant of Adani Power Ltd. at Mundra, Kutch. With an aggregate generation capacity of 1,320 MW, Adani’s new power plant is can produce 5, 000 MUs in the next five years. Elgi’s oil free compressors find great utility in major thermal power plants in India as they provide 100 per cent dry, oil-free air. Elgi’s clientele include Neyveli Lignite Corporation (1470 MW), Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (250 MW) and Andhra Pradesh Geno VTPS Thermal Power Plant (500 MW).
These compressors will be installed in the 4X330 MW thermal power plant of Adani Power Ltd. at Mundra, Kutch. With an aggregate generation capacity of 1,320 MW, Adani’s new power plant is can produce 5, 000 MUs in the next five years. Elgi’s oil free compressors find great utility in major thermal power plants in India as they provide 100 per cent dry, oil-free air. Elgi’s clientele include Neyveli Lignite Corporation (1470 MW), Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (250 MW) and Andhra Pradesh Geno VTPS Thermal Power Plant (500 MW).
New autorickshaw fare remains only on chart
The new meter fare for autorickshaws remained only in print on Monday – the day when it was supposed to take effect in Coimbatore. The minimum fare of Rs. 14 fixed by the Government was confined to the chart provided to the autorickshaw drivers by the Regional Transport Office.
As per the new rates, passengers should pay Rs. 14 if the meter reads Rs. 7. A combination of resistance on the part of the drivers and ignorance on the part of the passengers allowed fleecing to continue even on day one of the new fare.
Ignorance
Passengers at the railway station were either not aware of the new rates coming into effect or never got a chance to emphasise it with the autorickshaw drivers. So determined were the drivers to rubbish the new fare that they got away comfortably with their methods of collecting excess fare.
Despite the officials distributing the new fare charts, neither the drivers nor most of the passengers took note of it. While the drivers rejected the fare, many passengers saw no point in arguing with them when there was no scope for winning.
Enforcement
Responding to complaints of the new fare not being enforced on Monday, transport authorities said that the first two days were set aside for the distribution of the fare chart. Enforcement would begin on Wednesday. There was an indication that some stringent measures might be taken if the drivers refused to operate with the new fare.
But, the authorities also provided a hint that they would not rush into action and that was why the first day did not have visible enforcement. More than 1,000 cards were to have been distributed on Monday.
The 6,000 autorickshaws in the city would be covered by Tuesday night. The distribution of the charts on the first two days was expected to serve as an exercise to prepare the drivers to operate with the new fare.
Digital meters
The transport authorities have given time for the drivers to fix digital meters that will be calibrated to the new fare. Till then, the existing meters calibrated to the old fare of Rs. 7 will have to be used. The vehicles having the old meters will have to use the chart containing the new fares. But, the drivers themselves admitted that the meters in most of the autorickshaws either malfunctioned or did not function at all.
Chennai experience
Official sources said there was scepticism among the authorities over the district’s ability to enforce the new fare. Given the fact that the fare, introduced in Chennai on January 26, was rejected by the autorickshaw drivers, there was no illusion here of the drivers accepting the fare without protest.
President of the Federation of Autorickshaw Workers’ Unions of Coimbatore District P.K. Sukumaran said that around 3,000 drivers would stage a demonstration in the city on Tuesday to protest against the fare. “We cannot accept Rs.14 as the minimum fare. We have asked for Rs.20, only this amount is viable for us,” he said.
As per the new rates, passengers should pay Rs. 14 if the meter reads Rs. 7. A combination of resistance on the part of the drivers and ignorance on the part of the passengers allowed fleecing to continue even on day one of the new fare.
Ignorance
Passengers at the railway station were either not aware of the new rates coming into effect or never got a chance to emphasise it with the autorickshaw drivers. So determined were the drivers to rubbish the new fare that they got away comfortably with their methods of collecting excess fare.
Despite the officials distributing the new fare charts, neither the drivers nor most of the passengers took note of it. While the drivers rejected the fare, many passengers saw no point in arguing with them when there was no scope for winning.
Enforcement
Responding to complaints of the new fare not being enforced on Monday, transport authorities said that the first two days were set aside for the distribution of the fare chart. Enforcement would begin on Wednesday. There was an indication that some stringent measures might be taken if the drivers refused to operate with the new fare.
But, the authorities also provided a hint that they would not rush into action and that was why the first day did not have visible enforcement. More than 1,000 cards were to have been distributed on Monday.
The 6,000 autorickshaws in the city would be covered by Tuesday night. The distribution of the charts on the first two days was expected to serve as an exercise to prepare the drivers to operate with the new fare.
Digital meters
The transport authorities have given time for the drivers to fix digital meters that will be calibrated to the new fare. Till then, the existing meters calibrated to the old fare of Rs. 7 will have to be used. The vehicles having the old meters will have to use the chart containing the new fares. But, the drivers themselves admitted that the meters in most of the autorickshaws either malfunctioned or did not function at all.
Chennai experience
Official sources said there was scepticism among the authorities over the district’s ability to enforce the new fare. Given the fact that the fare, introduced in Chennai on January 26, was rejected by the autorickshaw drivers, there was no illusion here of the drivers accepting the fare without protest.
President of the Federation of Autorickshaw Workers’ Unions of Coimbatore District P.K. Sukumaran said that around 3,000 drivers would stage a demonstration in the city on Tuesday to protest against the fare. “We cannot accept Rs.14 as the minimum fare. We have asked for Rs.20, only this amount is viable for us,” he said.
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