Hyderabad: Auto drivers pay traffic penalties more than 2-wheeler riders
Hyderabad: The city’s autorickshaw drivers have paid Rs 28 crore as traffic penalties in five years. Their compliance rate at over 80 per cent is better than two-wheeler riders of whom less than 60 per cent paid up.
Drivers and their union leaders said they had no choice but to pay the penalties as they make at least 20 to 25 trips daily while passing through various police station limits.
“Half the autorickshaws are taken on daily rent and owners make sure that few challans are pending. Traffic cops detain the vehicles and release them only after the driver produces payment receipts,” said Telangana Auto Drivers Samakhya president and Auto Unions JAC leader, A. Sathi Reddy.
Though the drivers and union leaders said many drivers borrow to pay penalties, citizens and road safety activists said they were able to pay because they charge more money from passengers, resort to overloading and ply as share autos without charging as per metre fare.
“The cab fare is cheaper than that of autorickshaws on many occasions. For a trip from Secunderabad station to Hitec City, autorickshaw drivers demand Rs 300 which is more than the train fare from Vijayawada to here,” said Mr Ailneni Sreekar, a resident of Madhapur.
“They refuse to operate as per the metre-fare. So, it is not a surprise that they are able to pay multiple challans,” said Ms A. Pushpa Sundaram, an advocate.
After hoo-haa on rebate offer, Rs 90 crore fines unpaid
The four-day Lok Adalat resulted in drivers paying Rs 1.50 crore in pending penalties; the other half of the fine was waived. Despite this, motorists owe over Rs 90 crore in penalties. Experts said a daily drive was needed to make motorists pay their challans.
“Every day the traffic cops should strategically detain 100 to 150 vehicles so that there is no problem of space to keep the detained vehicles; most motorists take their vehicles by paying challans within a day or two,” said Dr S. Nagabhushan Rao, former director general of Engineering Staff College of India.
Mr T.S. Reddy, former scientist at Central Road Research Institute, said the problem with the present system of enforcement was that it was not sustained for longer periods.
“Enforcement should be a continuous affair,” he said. Deputy commissioner of police, traffic, A.V. Ranganath told this newspaper that motorists had paid almost Rs 140 crore towards challan penalties in the last five years.
