Cracking the whip on rogue autorickshaw drivers, the traffic police caught 25 of them for refusing to ferry passengers or demanding more money.
This followed a sting operation conducted in the Majestic area on Sunday night. Errant autorickshaw drivers at Anand Rao Circle, S.C. Road and Dhanwanthri Road were caught. Those plying their vehicles without the display boards and valid permits were also booked.
Cases were booked against the drivers and they were fined with at least Rs. 2,000 each, G.A. Jagadish, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic – West), told The Hindu .
The drive was conducted by 10 teams of policemen in plain clothes, armed with hand-held cameras. Posing as passengers, they approached the autorickshaw drivers, Mr. Jagadish said. While many refused to come on hire, a few others demanded nearly 10 times the actual fare, said Upparpet traffic inspector Ravi Kumar.
“We got complaints from the public in this regard and had instructions from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic – West) S. Girish to look into the issue,” he added.
The drive will continue, especially in the Majestic area. The police, however, concede that it might take some time to fully address the problem of autorickshaw drivers overcharging.
