Cityplus
Vol. #4 | Issue #12 | Wednesday, December 9, 2009 | 8 pages
Ghaziabad Edition
www.jagrancityplus.com
Fashion | Health | Lifestyle | Entertainment | Interiors | Community
Circulated in: DELHI NCR: Noida | Greater Noida | Gurgaon | Faridabad | Ghaziabad | East Delhi | New Ghaziabad | South Delhi | Central Delhi | Dwarka | BANGALORE: Indiranagar | Koramangala | Jayanagar | Sarjapur | HSR Layout | PUNE: Aundh/Baner | Kondhwa/Wanowrie | Kothrud/Paud Road | Deccan/Shivaji Nagar | MUMBAI: Vashi
Your safety is in your hand Auto rickshaw is an inseparable part of Indian transport. It is a common man's vehicle and thus cannot be avoided. But your safety is in your hand. If there are more than three passengers (in some cities only two are permitted), the driver may agree to take you all for an extra sum. But beware of the traffic police. You could be fined, or if lucky, let off if you feign ignorance. But it's better to take two rickshaws or a taxi instead as it's an uncomfortable ride with more than three adults. Sharing autos may take less time and money, but it is never more important than your own life. Always remember precaution is better than cure. Take care!
Traffic rules gone for a toss
They squeeze in 6-7 passengers Auto drivers in Ghaziabad taking rules for a ride
O
nce again traffic rules are being taken for a ride on Ghaziabad roads. The only difference is that this time the ride is a fully loaded one. The mention is about the small auto rickshaw which is one of the major sources of communication in Delhi and NCR. In Delhi, traffic rules are widely followed, but broken after crossing the UP border to Ghaziabad and the character of the people changes according to the systems of the different States. The small auto rickshaw, which has a capacity to accommodate only four people, including the driver, carries almost seven passengers excluding the driv-
er. Four are squeezed in the back, which can accommodate only three people and the remaining three are seated, or rather they hang around the driver's seat. Of late, the auto rickshaw drivers have been coming up with new ideas to earn as much as they can in one ride. And for this they are ready to stake not only their life but also the life of the passengers. The drivers hire more number of people; get them "stuck" in their autos for a small amount of money. From each passenger he collects Rs 10, which finally comes up to around Rs 70, thus giving the auto driver a profit of 30 to 40 bucks per ride. They cleverly choose the
area which does not have proper public transport and thus the general public, left with no choice, go for the strenuous ride. Such fully loaded rides can be seen on NH-24, from Noida Sector 62 to Patparganj, to Hasanpur Depot, to Gazipur depot, to Mohan Nagar, to Anand Vihar, towards Vaishali and vice-versa. One of the passengers commuting from east Delhi to Noida Sector 58 said that travelling through these sharing autos saves time as well as money. "I take only half an hour to reach Noida, Sector 58, through this route which will otherwise take around one and a half hours. Also,
it costs me only Rs 20 for the auto to reach my office against Rs 35, which is quite a big amount for everyday travelling expense. A half an hour pain is better than losing so much time and money," says Bhavesh, a content writer working in Noida. Ironically Ghaziabad police are constantly taking out drives and keeping a regular check on the auto rickshaws but the result is unproductive. The traffic police admitted that such illegal rides are on and have also come up with several punishments. The provisions are that if caught once, the driver can be let off with a warning and some fine. If caught for
more than two times, the auto rickshaw can be seized and if caught more than five times, punishment leading to cancelling the licence can also be imposed. "Almost a hundred auto rickshaws are seized or warned everyday and we are trying to solve the issue. But there are around 18,000 three-wheelers in Ghaziabad and not all of them can be checked altogether," says Anil Kumar, SP Traffic police. "After being caught, they come up with their wife and kids and plead for mercy. It is really difficult to manage them," he added. The auto drivers are very blatant to such questions and they have their own
pride in these illegal rides. When an auto driver riding such a vehicle is questioned about the ethics and legality of driving, he very pompously comes back with an unexpected thought. "Nobody can do anything here. This is not illegal. If we stop carrying passengers like you, you will have to pay a large amount of money to reach your destination. It is for the passengers we take so much of pain," says Ram Joseph, an auto rickshaw driver. In accordance with the safety measure, too, these rides are risky and can lead to loss of life and property. The small auto rickshaw is a light vehicle and can easily toss and turn even by a small hit. Moreover, the auto drivers ride the autos so rashly as if they are flying airplanes. Thus, there needs to be a check on the fully loaded, flying autos for the safety of traffic rules and more importantly innocent lives. —MEGHANA JAIN