In the wake of the recent order by the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, city traffic police and transport department officials swung into action and detained share autorickshaws that violated rules.
Just when the residents, especially harried road users, felt relieved that the authorities are cracking the whip at last and there will be a semblance of order on city roads, the drive did not sustain for long. In just four days, the whole disorder was back.
A major grouse of the people is that share autorickshaws were operated as a stage-carrier like the city buses of the TNSTC (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation). Their licence entitles them to carry only three persons and that the share autos cannot be operated on a “From” and “To” basis.
About a week ago, the traffic police conducted checks across the city and detained 75 share autorickshaws for violating rules. The drive continued for two more days. A police officer told The Hindu on Monday that about 1,500 share autorickshaws were plying in the city. During peak hours, they carried even seven to 10 passengers. The traffic police checked about 400 auto rickshaws during the four days soon after the court order.
When asked why the drive was discontinued, the officer said that the police personnel were drafted for providing security to the Vinayaka Chathurti rallies and bandobust duty which were over only on Sunday.
A TNSTC official said slackness in enforcement by the police and RTOs had resulted in a free-for-all situation on Madurai roads. City buses, which used to record a daily collection of ₹9000 to₹ 30,000 per vehicle, were collecting only ₹3,000 to ₹9,000 now, ever since share autorickshaws started plying on Madurai roads.
However, Rajendran, an autorickshaw driver at Mattuthavani, said that instead of penalising only violators, the police conducted a mass drive and have affected their very survival.
But the residents want the drive to be intensified and every violator of traffic rules and regulations is booked. A majority of the share autorickshaw drivers indulged in rash driving and jumped traffic signals and caused many accidents. They should be dealt with an iron hand, they said.