<p>A little transparency can go a long way in making Bangaloreans feel more secure about the City’s services. This, at least, was the logic by which the traffic police suggested the auto licence display system. <br /><br /></p>.<p>When the initiative was first introduced, display cards were printed and distributed — free of cost — to every single autorickshaw driver in the City. <br /><br />The card contained all the particulars about the driver, including his DL number, address and photo identification, and each was stipulated to display it prominently within their vehicles. <br /><br />This, it was considered, would offer some security to passengers as well as ease the process of registering a complaint against an errant driver.<br /><br />But like most initiatives in Bangalore, the reality of this initiative is far from the above rosy-tinted perspective might suggest. <br /><br />At the most basic level, the law does not require autorickshaw drivers to display their original card — which is why many take photocopies and distribute them among <br />themselves. <br /><br />This leads to another problem: photocopies are often blurry, making it difficult for passengers to identify the particulars of the driver. <br /><br />Some drivers take this to a new level by using water to blur out their display cards <br />at strategic parts — notably their addresses and DL numbers. From the official perspective, this issue doesn’t seem to constitute a problem because technically speaking, no outright laws are being broken. <br /><br />“Autorickshaw drivers don’t have to display their original card in their vehicles. But, we know that the driver of these vehicles often change, so whichever card is put up — whether original or photocopied — has to be of the person who is driving at that point of time.<br /><br /> The photo identification should match,” says M A Saleem, additional commissioner of police (traffic), adding, “If it doesn’t, we book a case of violation of permit conditions and <br />impose a fine that can go up to Rs 2,000.”<br /><br />Blurred licences, regretfully, are not something that can be tackled as per the law.<br /> “If a licence is blurred or spoiled, the driver can come and collect a new card free of cost. Of course, if a passenger has a problem they can register a complaint,” reasons Saleem.<br /><br />Passengers, it seems, most definitely do have problems with blurred and incorrect display cards. Gautam, a professional, points out, “Just the other day, I noticed that the display card of the auto I was travelling in was completely blurred — especially the picture of the driver. <br /><br />This could pose a definite security threat, especially to women travelling late at night. I always instruct the female members of my family to take note of a driver’s detailswhen stepping into an auto — it could be risky otherwise.”<br /><br />Pallavi, a student, reflects that unclear display cards leave a lot of room for anonymity. “It’s quite a problem because if a mishap does occur, the passenger doesn’t have any proof or details of the driver’s identity. <br /><br />If I want to lodge a complaint against a particular driver because he overcharges me, there’s no way of doing so,” she explains.<br /><br />Another complaint that some passengers have is that while the display cards sport DL numbers and addresses, they don’t have the vehicle’s licence plate number. <br /><br />However, Saleem feels this is unnecessary — “The DL number is what is important. After all, the licence plate number is visible all over the vehicle,” he says.<br /></p>
<p>A little transparency can go a long way in making Bangaloreans feel more secure about the City’s services. This, at least, was the logic by which the traffic police suggested the auto licence display system. <br /><br /></p>.<p>When the initiative was first introduced, display cards were printed and distributed — free of cost — to every single autorickshaw driver in the City. <br /><br />The card contained all the particulars about the driver, including his DL number, address and photo identification, and each was stipulated to display it prominently within their vehicles. <br /><br />This, it was considered, would offer some security to passengers as well as ease the process of registering a complaint against an errant driver.<br /><br />But like most initiatives in Bangalore, the reality of this initiative is far from the above rosy-tinted perspective might suggest. <br /><br />At the most basic level, the law does not require autorickshaw drivers to display their original card — which is why many take photocopies and distribute them among <br />themselves. <br /><br />This leads to another problem: photocopies are often blurry, making it difficult for passengers to identify the particulars of the driver. <br /><br />Some drivers take this to a new level by using water to blur out their display cards <br />at strategic parts — notably their addresses and DL numbers. From the official perspective, this issue doesn’t seem to constitute a problem because technically speaking, no outright laws are being broken. <br /><br />“Autorickshaw drivers don’t have to display their original card in their vehicles. But, we know that the driver of these vehicles often change, so whichever card is put up — whether original or photocopied — has to be of the person who is driving at that point of time.<br /><br /> The photo identification should match,” says M A Saleem, additional commissioner of police (traffic), adding, “If it doesn’t, we book a case of violation of permit conditions and <br />impose a fine that can go up to Rs 2,000.”<br /><br />Blurred licences, regretfully, are not something that can be tackled as per the law.<br /> “If a licence is blurred or spoiled, the driver can come and collect a new card free of cost. Of course, if a passenger has a problem they can register a complaint,” reasons Saleem.<br /><br />Passengers, it seems, most definitely do have problems with blurred and incorrect display cards. Gautam, a professional, points out, “Just the other day, I noticed that the display card of the auto I was travelling in was completely blurred — especially the picture of the driver. <br /><br />This could pose a definite security threat, especially to women travelling late at night. I always instruct the female members of my family to take note of a driver’s detailswhen stepping into an auto — it could be risky otherwise.”<br /><br />Pallavi, a student, reflects that unclear display cards leave a lot of room for anonymity. “It’s quite a problem because if a mishap does occur, the passenger doesn’t have any proof or details of the driver’s identity. <br /><br />If I want to lodge a complaint against a particular driver because he overcharges me, there’s no way of doing so,” she explains.<br /><br />Another complaint that some passengers have is that while the display cards sport DL numbers and addresses, they don’t have the vehicle’s licence plate number. <br /><br />However, Saleem feels this is unnecessary — “The DL number is what is important. After all, the licence plate number is visible all over the vehicle,” he says.<br /></p>
