Coimbatore police to unveil mini-libraries in autorickshaws

COIMBATORE: In order to encourage reading habit among the public, the Coimbatore City police have planned to set up mini libraries in autorickshaws operating in the city. The initiative will be carried out in as many as 2,000 autos in the first phase, city police commissioner V Balakrishnan told TNIE.

The project was announced after discussing it with the drivers and vehicle owners at the police commissionerate on Friday. “A tray or shelf will be set up behind the driver and a minimum of three to five books will be available in each vehicle. The passengers can read them while travelling, and the drivers too will have something to do when they are free.We hope this initiative will cultivate the habit of reading and help people spend less time on mobile phones. The books will be shuffled once a week between the 2,000 autos,” the commissioner added.

The city police had earlier launched street libraries at a few places.On Saturday, the police convened a meeting of auto drivers attached to app-based service providers and discussed road safety measures with them.

“We enquired about the issues they faced during rides and explained various road regulations in place. More such meetings will be organised soon,” the commissioner said. It may be noted that an auto driver attached to an app-based service provider was arrested in Coimbatore city on August 30 for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger. Similarly, another driver allegedly abused a woman passenger in the city on September 7 and was subsequently arrested.