Chennai: Shortcomings in the enforcement of the auto meter rule was exposed on Monday with nearly a tenth of autorickshaws checked by state transport and traffic police jointly, during a special drive conducted to discipline drivers, found wanting.
Drivers of over 230 autorickshaws were booked for not complying with the mandatory auto meter rule which came into effect in August last year. A total of 2,506 autorickshaws were checked at 23 places during the special drive kicked after complaints of rampant fleecing poured in.
Six teams were formed for the eight-day drive which is split into two stages (November 17-20 and November 24-27). Each team, led by a motor vehicle inspector (MVI) comprises a sub-inspector and two traffic constables, subject to the availability of manpower.
The transport department has sourced a little over 24 MVIs, mostly grade-II inspectors, from the mofussil areas to prevent the drive from affecting routine work. Each team has been designated to cover 10 police station limits each, in all 60 places in the city.
Each MVI leading the team was instructed to chargesheet 20 auto drivers per day, a senior transport department officer in the know of things said, reasoning that they had roped in traffic police as the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 allows them to impose a penalty only up to a maximum of Rs 500 for meter violation and related offences.
“When the city police invoke the IPC, the penalty can be made higher and, therefore, the enforcement stricter,” the officer remarked, conceding that there was some slackness during the festival season that led to drivers returning to their old, rude ways. Though the drive will not yield 100 per cent results, it will at least put the system back in order.
The police and traffic cops expect to book more drivers once the drive is streamlined and better coordinated from Tuesday.
