<p>Commuters in Bengaluru are facing a new problem — auto drivers watching videos while riding. They say such instances are increasing and are concerned for their safety.</p>.<p>Kavya S (name changed), a 27-year-old media professional, has encountered this situation multiple times. She is usually only mildly concerned, but one ride was particularly harrowing. “The driver was watching YouTube shorts, so he’d keep taking his hands off the steering to scroll to the next video. Even during sharp turns, speedbreakers and while applying sudden brakes, he refused to look up. I even asked him to pay attention and drive carefully, but he remained glued to the screen,” she shares.</p>.<p>Though Samantha K, a 35-year-old communications professional, has not faced anything untoward, she is particular about voicing her concerns to the drivers. “I always object to it and ask them to stop the auto, watch the video or Instagram reel, and then continue. But they feel embarrassed and stop,” she says. She has also experienced this during cab rides.</p>.<p>Fixed topic </p>.<p>D Rudramurthy, general secretary of Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU), believes that only 10 per cent of <br>drivers resort to such activities while on the job.</p>.<p>However, he shares that road safety is a fixed topic at their union meetings, which are held every second Saturday. “We educate our drivers about the dangers of being glued to the phone while riding,” he explains. About 2,000 drivers in the city are associated with the union.</p>.Forest dept sets up cage to catch leopard in Bengaluru.<p>The traffic police should strengthen awareness drives, states C Sampath, general secretary of Adarsha Auto Drivers Union. “Earlier, during the 30-day period between receiving a learner’s license and taking the <br>driving license’s test, classes would be conducted daily on traffic regulations and road safety. I do not see that being enforced now,” he notes. If the drivers are educated, it will make a huge difference. Booking drivers without conducting enough awareness drives is unfair, he says. </p>.<p>Road safety month</p>.<p>However, Anita Haddannavar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic west), points out that they are currently in the midst of the Road Safety Month. “We have been conducting special drives <br>for auto drivers. On Wednesday, we held a session on parking violations. Usage of mobile devices while on the job will also be addressed,” she shares.</p>.<p>Roughly three-four such drives are held every week, not just this month but through the year. They focus on different traffic violations for each day. Before 2023, they were conducting Road Safety Week in January. Back then, they would cram sessions on all the violations into one week. Now, they have more time to focus on each problem, she explains.</p>.<p class="bodytext">CASES BOOKED<br />Shiva Prakash Devaraju, deputy commissioner of police (traffic south), has been actively actively trying to<br />curb the menace. In the south zone alone, 169 drivers were booked in December 2024, and 323 were booked in January. But of these, only 12 were auto drivers. “We have been doing this through physical enforcement and by looking at CCTV footage,” he says.</p>
<p>Commuters in Bengaluru are facing a new problem — auto drivers watching videos while riding. They say such instances are increasing and are concerned for their safety.</p>.<p>Kavya S (name changed), a 27-year-old media professional, has encountered this situation multiple times. She is usually only mildly concerned, but one ride was particularly harrowing. “The driver was watching YouTube shorts, so he’d keep taking his hands off the steering to scroll to the next video. Even during sharp turns, speedbreakers and while applying sudden brakes, he refused to look up. I even asked him to pay attention and drive carefully, but he remained glued to the screen,” she shares.</p>.<p>Though Samantha K, a 35-year-old communications professional, has not faced anything untoward, she is particular about voicing her concerns to the drivers. “I always object to it and ask them to stop the auto, watch the video or Instagram reel, and then continue. But they feel embarrassed and stop,” she says. She has also experienced this during cab rides.</p>.<p>Fixed topic </p>.<p>D Rudramurthy, general secretary of Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU), believes that only 10 per cent of <br>drivers resort to such activities while on the job.</p>.<p>However, he shares that road safety is a fixed topic at their union meetings, which are held every second Saturday. “We educate our drivers about the dangers of being glued to the phone while riding,” he explains. About 2,000 drivers in the city are associated with the union.</p>.Forest dept sets up cage to catch leopard in Bengaluru.<p>The traffic police should strengthen awareness drives, states C Sampath, general secretary of Adarsha Auto Drivers Union. “Earlier, during the 30-day period between receiving a learner’s license and taking the <br>driving license’s test, classes would be conducted daily on traffic regulations and road safety. I do not see that being enforced now,” he notes. If the drivers are educated, it will make a huge difference. Booking drivers without conducting enough awareness drives is unfair, he says. </p>.<p>Road safety month</p>.<p>However, Anita Haddannavar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic west), points out that they are currently in the midst of the Road Safety Month. “We have been conducting special drives <br>for auto drivers. On Wednesday, we held a session on parking violations. Usage of mobile devices while on the job will also be addressed,” she shares.</p>.<p>Roughly three-four such drives are held every week, not just this month but through the year. They focus on different traffic violations for each day. Before 2023, they were conducting Road Safety Week in January. Back then, they would cram sessions on all the violations into one week. Now, they have more time to focus on each problem, she explains.</p>.<p class="bodytext">CASES BOOKED<br />Shiva Prakash Devaraju, deputy commissioner of police (traffic south), has been actively actively trying to<br />curb the menace. In the south zone alone, 169 drivers were booked in December 2024, and 323 were booked in January. But of these, only 12 were auto drivers. “We have been doing this through physical enforcement and by looking at CCTV footage,” he says.</p>