It's proven that the auto drivers in Hyderabad are the most recalcitrant lot as paying a penalty for a traffic rule violation is no more a deterrent for them.
They would perhaps mutter a few Hyderabadi epithets silently, pay up for the violation and jump the signal at the next junction, cocking a snook at the camera-wielding policeman shooting a picture of the violation. That they have become incorrigible is the conclusion if one were to look at statistics.
Till the end of October, auto drivers got a whopping 3.77 lakh challans and paid up Rs. 4 crore towards penalties. Last year, 4.3 lakh challans were issued which netted a cool Rs.4.5 crore into the government kitty. Most violations pertain to refusal to ply; jumping the signals, no-parking rule violations and of course, the stop line rule violation.
But, if so many auto drivers are being ‘challaned' every year, why has there been no change in their behaviour? Are these drivers unyielding to persuasion or coercion? General complaints levied against auto drivers are that they are rude, they fleece people, have scant respect for the traffic rules and behave as if they are a law unto themselves.
“Many auto drivers are uneducated and come from rural background.
They do not have healthy respect towards traffic rules, and most of them do not have their driving license, leave alone other vehicle documents.
Adding to this problem is heavy unionisation. Because of the political clout that these unions hold, the general behaviour of the auto drivers is quite belligerent. Traffic policemen often have a tough time dealing with them,” a senior police official complains.
So if the police official says it is impossible to manage them, what could be the solution?
Most people feel that in addition to a steep hike in penalties, the vehicles should be seized, as in case of drunken driving cases.
“The bulk of the challans that are levied on autos come from three categories: wrong parking, stop line violations and issuing multiple challans for the same violations,” general secretary of BMS Auto and Taxi Driver's Union A Ravi Shankar says.
“Places like school premises where autos wait for school children do not have parking boards and police take photos of these vehicles to impose e-Challans. Because of the number of schools in the city, challans raised on these grounds are quite numerous,” he explains.
But what about drivers not using meters? Mr. Shankar says that once a digital meter goes wrong it is difficult to get it repaired. “For 1.1 lakh autos plying in the Greater Hyderabad region, we have only four certified repair centres,” he adds.
Accepting that not all auto drivers are innocent, Mr. Shankar says that there is a need to educate the drivers about these issues. “Traffic police should organise awareness campaigns and review meetings to educate auto drivers about traffic rules, but our request for the same has fallen on deaf ears. Police should also show some sensitivity towards the problem,” he says.
