There is a general impression among people that share autorickshaws plying in the city and the suburbs are more a burden than a boon.
The reason is not hard to fathom. On seeing reckless driving of these vehicles by youths who have scant respect for traffic rules, two-wheeler riders and drivers of cars and other vehicles are always on the alert, lest they’ll get bumped off by the autorickshaws that race on roads to get more passengers, because the quicker the sorties, the more the collection. No wonder share autorickshaws have become objects of scorn by the very people who welcomed them a few years back when they arrived on Madurai roads to provide an alternative to the inadequate city bus services and fleecing autos.
Four days back, a doctor practising in Government Rajaji Hospital met with an accident at the centre of Albert Victor bridge. Narrating his experience, the doctor said, “With other vehicles, I was cruising at a speed of 40 km in my car at around 5 p.m. A share auto was going in front of me. Suddenly the driver applied brakes on seeing some college girls — potential passengers — walking on the pavement. I had no option but to hit the vehicle. In the collision, my car got a dent in the front. I picked a quarrel with him. As traffic piled up, I couldn’t do anything but take my car and leave the place after noting down the registration number of the auto. When I approached the traffic police near Nelpettai, they dissuaded me from lodging a formal complaint. Next day, when I approached the authorised dealer’s workshop, they gave me an repair estimate of Rs.15,000,” the doctor said.
And the doctor is not alone in having a bitter experience with share autorickshaws. TNSTC (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation) drivers are the major victims of the share auto menace. The autorickshaws encroach on the bus bays at important bus stops such as Government Rajaji Hospital, Goripalayam, Vakkil New Street, Arapalayam, Simmakkal and Kalavasal. They hold up not only buses waiting behind these autorickshaws to enter the bus bay but also other vehicles. This results in needless traffic jams, much to the annoyance of all road users.
According to a traffic police official at Periyar bus stand, only a very few share auto drivers have driving licence. During a recent check carried out for three hours on three roads in the city, only 12 share auto drivers out of 79 autos checked had a driving licence, 38 had two-wheeler licence, 20 claimed that they left the licence at home, and nine drivers had expired licences.
