As announced earlier, the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissionerate launched a special drive jointly with RTO officials against autorickshaws plying in the twin-cities without permits and valid documents on Friday and seized 116 vehicles.
Briefing presspersons about the special drive on Friday evening, Police Commissioner M.N. Nagaraj said that the Commissionerate had held meetings with office-bearers of the autorickshaw owners and drivers associations and made it clear to them that they would have to get the required permits and possess valid documents to operate in the twin-cities.
“We had given time to autorickshaw drivers and owners to get the required documents. Many of them complied. However several others continued operating without valid documents. To seize such auto rickshaws this drive was conducted”, he said.
Mr. Nagaraj said the drive led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) B.S. Nemagouda and Regional Transport Officers R. Kavali and B. Nalvathwadmath was carried out from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and cases were filed against 124 autorickshaws. Of them, 116 were seized for not having valid documents and permits. Only after the RTO officials give clearance would the seized autorickshaws be released to the respective auto drivers or owners.
To a query, Mr. Nagaraj said that around 18,000 autorickshaws operated in the twin-cities and those not having valid documents would be seized in the coming days.
He said the initiative to issue unique numbers to autorickshaws and drivers after verification of documents had been completed in Dharwad. Under the same initiative around 50% of the autorickshaws had been covered in Hubballi and the process would be completed at the earliest.
To another query, he said that in the coming days action would also be taken against school buses ferrying students in excess number.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Renuka Sukumar was present.