Autos beware, cops on prowl

GURGAON: The city traffic police have gathered enough evidence against auto drivers flouting rules on the roads through photographs and videos.
Following a two-day strike by auto drivers over police crackdown and subsequent negotiations, cops had given a one-week grace period to auto drivers to mend their ways, stop overloading and start following traffic rules.
As the grace period got over, the traffic police have called up a meeting of union representatives on Thursday to ask them why challans should not be issued against them. Sources said zonal officers have been asked to keep a vigil in their respective areas and gather evidence of any misconduct by auto drivers.
According to cops, auto drivers are still indulging in wrong practices like stopping on the road at will as well as ferrying more passengers than the permitted number of ten. Keeping its word, the department did not issue any challan to auto drivers during the grace period, they added.
A cop said, “These violations are more rampant in the west zone including Rajiv Chowk and bus stand. Traffic congestion in these areas is mainly due to faults of auto drivers. In order to get more passengers, they try to overtake each other and converge at the same point on the road creating jams”.
DCP (traffic) Bharti Arora said, “Some improvements have been noticed in autos plying on city roads. But they are still at fault. We cannot tolerate such indiscipline and are going to resume the drive against them. After showing them the photos and videos, we will ask them why challans should not be issued against them”.
Notably, cops issued as many as 674 challans to auto drivers during their special drive between April 1 and 15. Subsequently, agitated drivers had gone on a strike to oppose the crackdown.