Soon, ride an auto without fear of being robbed

Crime Branch to make radio frequency identification tags mandatory for all autos; the tracking system will help deal with rickshaw gangs that rob passengers, especially women

When it comes to travelling in auto rickshaws, the fear of being fleeced is quite real. But that may appear small in face of a bigger fear—of being robbed, either stealthily or at knife-point, by the auto driver or people you thought were your co-passengers. Looking at the rise in cases of people falling prey to auto rickshaw gangs in the city, the cops have decided to make it mandatory for all rickshaws here to have radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. These will help cops keep a track of the vehicles and nab the culprits immediately in case of a crime.

Conceived by the city crime branch, the project is likely to be launched by this year-end. According to cops, there are at least six big gangs operational in the city, besides several small ones. Most of the cases involve shared auto rickshaws. The easiest targets for these gangs are women, senior citizens and those who are new to the city. Their preferred areas of operation are near entry points of the city, like railway station and bus stand.

In one of the most recent cases, crime branch team this month arrested four persons, including a woman, who were involved in at least 39 cases of theft.

Constant monitoring

"RFID tags will be mandatory and will be installed in all rickshaws at the RTO, both at Subhash Bridge and Vastral chowkdi, in a manner that they are clearly visible. The tags will help not just in identifying the location of rickshaws but will also map the routes they are travelling on," Crime Branch DCP Deepan Bhadran told Mirror. In cases where passengers do not know the registration number of the auto rickshaw in which they were robbed, the RFID will help track the vehicle on the basis of the location at which the passenger got off, he explained.

"There will be RFID readers installed across the city so that location of rickshaws, wherever they travel, will be known at all times. The readers will convey information like registration number of the rickshaw, names of owner and driver, etc."

"The reader will transmit information to a server at the Crime Branch. This will be verified with the driver registration centre and the entire information will then be transmitted to the monitoring centre at the police control room and police vehicles that will act promptly to nail the culprits," he added.

Besides being tamper-proof, RFID tags will be visible to traffic police from far.

"If the tag is tampered with, the traffic police will be able to see it and immediately flag the rickshaw and take action," Bhadran said.

The modus operandi

Such crimes mostly happen in shared auto rickshaws where two-three persons are already seated on the passenger seat when the target is approached. When the latter tries to fit in, s/he is advised to keep the bag at a spot from where it is easy for one of the members of the gang to steal the contents. On most occasions, the victims learn of the theft only after reaching their destinations.

Crime branch inspector Rajesh Suvera said, "The gangs work with stealth. There are two ways in which they function. During day time, the passenger is asked to keep the bag behind the seat or at another spot that the gang would have thought of. Alternatively, during nights, they loot the passengers by threatening them."

"At present there are at least six known gangs operating in the city. They approach lone passengers, especially women and vulnerable persons. Most of the times, these gangs know if their targets have valuables in their bags," Bhadran said. "This project has been conceived to take women safety several notches higher in the city as these gangs mostly target women."

"Many of these gang members are involved in repeat crimes. Even if they are jailed, they come out and return to the same crime. Most of the criminals keep shifting from one gang to another frequently, sometimes as quickly as in a week," Bhadran said.

Visitors at risk

An auto rickshaw driver, on condition of anonymity, said, "Gangs operate from Kalupur and other such areas of entry into the city as most passengers are new and hence vulnerable."

Jamalpur resident Anwar Shaikh (60) has been driving a rickshaw for past 40 years, but has never operated in the shared rickshaw circuit. "Shuttle rickshaws were conceived during communal violence in the city as most rickshaws at that point drove within certain areas. Approximately 75 per cent shuttle rickshaw drivers do not have a licence. They ferry seven to eight passengers but are never stopped by police," he said. Acknowledging the presence of such gangs in city, he said, "Shuttle rickshaws operate on SG Highway as well as in Vadaj, Bhimjipura, Subhash Bridge, Sabarmati, Chandkheda, Sarkhej and Jamalpur areas."

'We will feel safer'

Pooja Shah (23), an employee of a multi-national fast food chain, said, "I have heard of such gangs operating in the city and have apprehensions every time I get into a shared rickshaw. This move will help women feel safer."

She added that she commutes in a shared rickshaw between Paldi and Nehru Bridge every day and is often the only woman among seven-eight passengers. Earlier, she used to feel safe in the midst of so many people, but now, after hearing of thefts in autos, she has become wary. She holds her purse close and avoids wearing expensive jewellery. While she has never encountered an unpleasant experience, she opined that RFID would make her feel more secure.

Geeta Rathod (22) commutes between Vasna and Nehru Bridge daily in a shared rickshaw. "It's a huge step towards women security and I am looking forward to its implementation," she said.