Would you believe 27 people could fit in one autorickshaw? Neither could UP cops!

Even those accustomed to travelling in overcrowded buses would not believe it.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, about 125 kilometres south of here, the traffic police were shell-shocked when they saw the number of passengers inside a speeding autorickshaw they signalled to stop.

When the cops asked the passengers to vacate—so that the autorickshaw could be impounded—it seemed as if a human floodgate was opened; 27 people, including women and children, came out of the vehicle much to the dismay of the police.

According to the reports, the passengers were returning home after offering special prayers for Eid-al-Adha at a nearby mosque, in Bindaki area, on Sunday.

“We had no idea that there were 27 people inside the tiny three-wheeler when we signalled the driver to stop, as he was found to be over speeding... (at one point) we lost count of the people; and had to ask them to stand in a corner so that they might be counted,” said a police official.

The official also admitted that overcrowding was common in autorickshaws, but it was difficult to imagine how 27 people could be accommodated in the vehicle.

The incident made headlines when a video, showing a steady stream of people emerging out of the autorickshaw, found quite a traction on social networking sites on Monday.

“We are accustomed to travelling like this…it may look strange to others though…when you do not have any other means of transportation to reach home you have to face such problems,” said one of the passengers after alighting from the vehicle.

Police said that the autorickshaw was seized, and the autorickshaw driver was fined.