In mid-2013, the State transport department announced that it would be making it mandatory for autorickshaw drivers to display their identity cards and details of the vehicle permit inside the autorickshaw. Today, this is yet to materialise.
“I got into an argument with a driver after disembarking near my house in Kilpauk as he demanded more money than what we had decided on. He abused me badly and used foul language. Most of my friends have faced similar experiences,” said Nivedhita Kumar, an IT professional. She pointed out that it would have been impossible to identify the driver, adding that if an ID card had been displayed, she would registered a police complaint.
A few months ago, a Facebook post by a young woman about an autorickshaw driver in Anna Nagar abusing her regarding her attire went viral, along with a photograph of the vehicle and the driver she had managed to capture. The traffic police investigated the issue after a section of the media reported it, it but the driver couldn’t be traced.
According to sources with the regional transport department, it is not mandatory under law for autorickshaw drivers to display a photo ID, unlike in other States including Karnataka and Kerala. “In Tamil Nadu, details, including the name and address of the vehicle owner, permit number and validity, and fitness and insurance validity must be displayed in the vehicle; but they are often painted illegibly,” said a senior officer.
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Notably, most autorickshaws plying the city are not owned by the drivers, who only ride the vehicle for a fee. Therefore, drivers often remain anonymous to passengers.
More recently, call taxi drivers have begun displaying their ID card prominently. Traffic managers note that police, while cracking down on autorickshaws, should be able to check and penalise drivers who fail to display such details in the vehicle.