A total of 151 cases were registered under the Indian Motor Vehicles (IMV) Act against auto-rickshaw drivers in western Bengaluru on Friday under a new drive by the traffic police. Following complaints about the rash behaviour of auto-rickshaw drivers, the west division traffic police took up this initiative to crack down on those stationed outside the KSR Bengaluru (city) railway station, Majestic bus terminal, and Satellite Bus Terminal on Mysuru Road.
"We instructed the drivers to park at designated spots for auto-rickshaws so they could streamline their parking and free up a lane for regular traffic. We had also sent decoy officers to file cases under the IMV Act if the drivers are quoting fares above the metre," Suman Pennekar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-West), told DH.
She added that the traffic police would continue to routinely check station premises to ensure rules are being followed by auto-rickshaw drivers.
Of the total 151 cases, 90 cases were registered against drivers who were not wearing their uniforms, 18 cases were registered for refusal to go on hire, and 43 cases were filed for other violations, including wrong-side driving and stopping in a manner that impedes traffic flow, Pennekar said.
M N Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said that the drive would be taken up by traffic police in railway stations and bus stands across the city simultaneously.
"As of now, we haven't received such complaints from outside metro stations but we will take action if instances of refusing rides and quoting high fares are reported there too," he said.
On Saturday, Sanchara Samparka, an outreach program launched by the traffic police, saw citizens raising complaints about how most of the auto drivers refuse rides and fleece the passengers.
Published 08 July 2023, 16:18 IST