Where to (hic), sis (hic)?

KOCHI: Incident 1:
After a long day at work 33-year-old, Nimisha hails an auto-rickshaw. The time is around 8:00 pm. However, after a short while the erratic manner in which the vehicle moved made her realise that something was not right. When she questioned the driver, his slurred reply made it clear that he was drunk. She asked him to stop and got down.

Incident 2: 
An elderly woman along with her daughter and granddaughter, recently, boarded an autorickshaw at around 6:30 pm to go to the railway station. The driver, who was in a very chatty mood, began expressing his views about the city roads and traffic. But the stench of alcohol that permeated the vehicle along with the speed at which it was going alerted them to the inebriated state of the driver. They heaved a sigh of relief once they reached the railway station.

These are a few among the many incidents taking place in the city. Women, especially those who work late hours, have to face this problem the most.  According to the Motor Vehicles Department, drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs etc is a criminal offence. Under Section 185 of the Motor vehicles Act, 1988,  the offender can be punished for a  term of up to six months or can be made to pay a fine of Rs 2,000. But the rules seem to get confined to the books only. 

According to Mary Joseph, an assistant professor at a college, before hiring an autorickshaw it has become imperative to check whether the driver is sober or not. “Recently, I hailed an autorickshaw near Mathrubhumi junction. My mother and daughter were with me. However, after some time we realised that the driver was drunk. He was driving rashly and was blabbering something to himself. We didn’t know what to do. Somehow we reached our destination. Even today the nightmarish ride gives us jitters,” said Mary. 

According to M B Syamanthabhadran, general secretary, Ernakulam District Autorickshaw Drivers’ Association (CITU), action has been taken against errant drivers. “If any of our drivers are found violating rules or driving while inebriated, he is at first given a warning and then expelled if the offence is repeated. We monitor them regularly,” he said. 

In 2013, a rule was passed which states first-time offenders who are caught drunk driving will have their licences cancelled. Regi P Varghese, Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer said, “We have been regularly monitoring the drivers and if caught their licence is suspended for six months. Last month, many cases of drunk driving came to our notice especially in Edappally and areas like M G Road,  Kaloor and Vytilla.”
The police too claim to be vigilant against drunk driving.

“We have squads patrolling many areas in the district. When we come across inebriated drivers, strict action is taken against them. A case is registered against them and their licence is suspended,” said M P Dinesh, city police commissioner.  According to the data with the city traffic department, East circle, of the 3,368 drunk driving cases registered 182 are against autorickshaw drivers.

Unsafe ride
The women in the city don’t find autorickshaws a safe mode of transportation especially in the night. Nimisha said, “We have no way to know whether the driver is a person who has no criminal record. At least provision should be made to display  the information such as his name, phone number and emergency contact numbers.  This will help the passenger feel safe.” 
 

Rule  No rule

In 2013, a rule was passed which states first-time offenders who are caught drunk driving will have their licences cancelled
Drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs etc is a criminal offence. Under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988,  the offender can be punished for a  term of up to six months or can be made to pay a fine of Rs 2,000
Drivers are not adhering to the rule which makes it mandatory for them to display information such as their name, phone numbers and  emergency numbers

We have squads patrolling many areas in the district. When we come across inebriated drivers, strict action is taken against them. A case is registered against them and their licence is suspended

— M P Dinesh, city police commissioner

If any of our drivers are found violating rules or driving while inebriated, he is at first given a warning and then expelled if the offence is repeated. 
We monitor them regularly

— M B Syamanthabhadran, general secretary, Ernakulam District Autorickshaw Drivers’ Association (CITU)