Seek time for driver to prepare city permit
Jamshedpur , May 22 : Auto drivers of the city have demanded suspension of the police drive against erring drivers. The traffic police have started a checking drive to ensure that auto-rickshaw operators carry valid documents.
As the drive for papers checking were carried out in localities like Bistupur, Sakchi, Jugsalai and Mango, the auto-drivers stopped plying on those routes.
The drivers under the banner of Jamshedpur Shikshit Berojgaar staged demonstration and alleged that the drivers are being harassed. They demanded that those auto drivers own a permit should not be caught at the pretext of checking drive. There are around 25,000 autos which are plying on various routes in city roads at the moment.
On Tuesday, a delegation of the drivers met city SP and demanded suspension of the drive. � We demand that the police must stop the drive and give 20-day time to the drivers so that they can prepare their documents.
An official of the Tempo ChalakSangharsh Union said they they met senior police officers in view of the ongoing papers checking drive by the traffic police.
Deputy superintendent of police (traffic) Vivekanand Thakur confirmed that they have started a paper-checking drive against the auto-rickshaw operators since Saturday.
In a bid to tighten noose of the erring autorickshaws operating without city permits, the Traffic Police gas embarked on a drive across the city. The decision to conduct regular inspection comes in due to spurt in cases of mishaps in the city.
However the auto drivers in the city have joined hands to protest the move.Secretary of the union Arup Ghosh raised a voice of resent against the traffic police drive. �If the police continue with their drive we would be forced to call indefinite strike of all the auto operators in the city,� said Ghosh.
On the other hand many autorickshaws plying on the city�s busy thoroughfares could be seen carrying passengers more than the permitted capacity.
In several instances, the number of passengers seated inside the three-wheelers exceeds eight. There are around 25,000 autos which are plying on various routes in city roads carrying more than 2 lakhs commuters each day.