Auto drivers beware! Saying no to passengers could cost dear

Auto drivers beware! Saying no to passengers could cost dear
Vijay Times

Here is good news for all those who have been fleeced by autorickshaw drivers in the City .

Refusal to ply passengers and demanding excess fare has no w been made an offence under the auto permit conditions by the Regional T ransport Authority (RT A), Bangalore U rban. With this new condition, a passenger can give a written complaint against the driver if he doesn’t abi to ply passengers to their destination.

The decision was taken in the wake of rising complaints against auto drivers regarding refusal to ply passengers and demanding excess fare. Hence, these two were introduced as an additional permit condition under the provision of Motor V ehicle Act, section 192 (A), said Shafi Ahmed, RT A secretary .

The decision was taken by the RT A at a meeting held on March 6, which was also attended by the deputy commissioner of police, T raffic (East) M Abdul Saleem, also a member RT A. The address of the complainant should be given to the traffic police or to the transport department. If its anonymous, it won’t be accepted, he added.

As the earlier rule of fining drivers anywhere between Rs 100 and 500 was found ineffective, the new condition was introduced in the permit. According to which, a charge sheet will be filed and a fine of Rs 2,000 to 5,000 will be levied for the first time offence. For subsequent offences, the driver will be fined Rs 5,000 to 10,000 by the Court, Ahmed informed.

However , if the auto driver is an habitual offender , the RT A will have the ultimate right to cancel or suspend the permit, after giving enough opportunities to the driver under the provision of Law , he added.

I am very happy with the new conditions that have been included in the auto permit. It is time auto drivers are taken to task for the inconvenience they cause to passengers, especially to those travelling at night from railway and bus stations. Many auto drivers work on their own whims and fancies and deny going to particular areas and demand more from passengers when they come from outstations, says Anurag, an engineer . It’s a good move by the RT A. There shouldn’t be any loopholes in the new conditions and offenders should be strictly fined, said V enkatesh, a government employee.

Unions unaware

T alking to BVT , Bangalore Auto and T axi Drivers Association president Somashekar said, I’m unaware of the new conditions that have been included in the permit. The RT A officials have not informed us about this and neither have any circulars reached the auto unions.

However , I think there are loopholes in the rule. Based on the passenger’s complaint alone the judge can’t impose fines on the driver . The Cour t will require a witness prove that the driver is guilty . And in m cases, witnesses never turn up and the case is dropped, he added.