A year since the abduction and gangrape of a medical student near Manipal on June 20, 2013, the Travel Safety Registry (TSR) system for autorickshaws or Autorickshaw Drivers’ Display System (ADDS) are still not been implemented in the district.
As there was widespread concern among the people about safety while travelling in autorickshaws after the gangrape incident, the police had decided to implement the TSR system. Though the TSR system was launched on November 1, 2013, it could not take off as the autorickshaw drivers opposed the move.
Under the TSR, autorickshaw drivers had to put a display card behind their seat, which would have details such as their names, address and telephone number along with a unique identification number. As per the original plan, all autorickshaws in the district were supposed to have display cards by December 31, 2013. Though a section of autorickshaw drivers accepted the display cards during its launch on November 1, 2013, several others objected to it.
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According to the Autorickshaw Drivers and Owners Association, nearly 300 autorickshaw drivers were driving vehicles not owned by them. They had taken the autorickshaws on rent and operated it. It would be difficult for these drivers to have display cards.
“One of the biggest fears that the autorickshaw drivers have is that the addresses and telephone numbers mentioned on the display cards could be misused,” B. Narasimhamurthy, vice-president of the association.
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Yet another grouse of the association was that the TRS was launched by the police department without taking it into confidence. The district police made it clear that the addresses and telephone numbers of relatives or neighbours of autorickshaw drivers would not be mentioned on the display card. These details were taken so that they could be used in case of emergency. But this has not satisfied the authorickshaw drivers. “The TRS should be enforced throughout the State and not just in Udupi district,” Mr. Narasimhamurthy said.
Though the district police had decided to hold more meetings with autorickshaw drivers and extend the deadline for having display cards, the parliamentary elections were announced and the matter fell on the backburner.
Superintendent of Police M.B. Boralingaiah said he wanted to address all the objections raised by the autorickshaw drivers and solve the matter through consensus. “We plan to hold a meeting with the autorickshaw drivers shortly and make all efforts to take them into confidence,” he said.