The Chennai traffic police has warned autorickshaw drivers ferrying schoolchildren that their vehicles would be seized if they carried more than the permitted number of passengers. Over 1,275 autorickshaw drivers were fined.
According to senior traffic police officers, many parents send their children to school in autorickshaws. “They do it on a cost-sharing basis to reduce the monthly amount spent on transport. Due to this more than 10 children are ferried in a vehicle and this can cause accidents,” said a police officer.
To prevent any untoward incident, the Chennai traffic police conducted a raid across the city to book overloaded autorickshaws.
“We fined a total of 1,275 autoricksahws under the Motor Vehicles Act. We also warned the drivers not to transport more than the permitted number of passengers,” said a senior police officer.
Traffic police officers also conducted an awareness programme for the parents who send their children by autorickshaws and the school managements. “They should also ensure that the vehicles in which their children are sent to school are not overloaded,” added the officer.
According to police officers, an autorickshaw can carry only five children, up to the age of 14 years, and three passengers in case of adults. “But on a daily basis we see atleast 12 children being ferried. Their school bags are dangling outside while the children are sitting on the driver’s seat too,” said G. Kumaragurubaran, a parent from Santhome.
