BHUBANESWAR: The state government has asked commissionerate police to revive the pink auto service, which has been non-operational for the past three years here.
On June 27, 2014, chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the public transport system primarily for women in the capital city.
“More women passengers, including working women and students, are travelling here at night. Steps may be taken to review why the pink auto service was stopped. In view of public demand and for the safe travel of women passengers, it may be resumed under the monitoring of the commissionerate police,” transport secretary Madhu Sudan Padhi has written to commissioner of police Saumendra Priyadarshi.
The transport department intervened following a directive by chief secretary Suresh Mahapatra, the letter said. The transport department has sought a report from commissionerate police at the earliest for perusal of the chief secretary.
The pink auto service was introduced here in the wake of harassment of women by several auto drivers in the past. A number of drivers were arrested here in 2013-14 on charges of molestation, eve-teasing, theft, harassment of passengers and forging identity cards.