Card system a hit with commuters

405 autorickshaw drivers booked under new complaint system

Commuters are making full use of the traffic department's new complaint card (CC) system to bring errant autorickshaw drivers to book.

The CC system, which has been operational for the last four days, has helped book 405 autorickshaws in the city and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manoj Patil, who is quite happy with the response said, "We are expecting the numbers to go up from Pimpri-Chinchwad. A thousand booklets have been distributed to 450 police on traffic duty. Anyone can approach the police on traffic duty and file a complaint against errant autorickshaws."

Earlier, the traffic police used to submit a detailed report against the rickshaw drivers after taking down complaints. Now the people are expected to come forward and lodge the complaint in the complaint card. This will be an ongoing drive and can certainly make an impact and change things for the better,"
Patil said.

The CC drive was welcomed by Smita Kulkarni, a resident of Kothrud, who is a regular commuter. "It is more difficult for women when rickshaw drivers refuse fare and behave rudely," she said.

Unions unhappy
Nana Kshirsagar, president of Maharashtra Rickshaw Sena, said the drive was targetting rickshaw drivers alone. "It is not true that each driver is rude and violates the law. This is absolutely biased and we are condemning this drive," he said.

Baba Kamble, president of Maharashtra Rickshaw Panchayat, has also objected to this drive and said that the traffic police would have to go in to the root cause of the problem and solve the problems of rickshaw drivers first.

"Why are the rickshaws being singled out? Illegal transport is rampant in the city and outskirts openly," he said. "The RTO should also listen to what the rickshaw drives have to say before suspending their licenses."