JSR traffic police cracks down on erring autos

Jamshedpur: The Jamshedpur district traffic police on Wednesday began a crackdown on erring auto-rickshaws, following an increase in complaints from motorists about drivers disrupting the smooth flow of traffic.Random inspections aimed at penalising operators who park illegally on roadsides or stop on service roads to pick up and drop off passengers.Traffic police, accompanied by transport officials, verified the driving licences of operators and vehicle documents like pollution under control (PUC) certificate, registration certificate, fitness certificate, permit licence, and route chart.Deputy superintendent of police (Traffic) Sriniraj Kumar said, ”Auto-rickshaw drivers must wear their uniforms and operate only on their permitted routes. Operators, who have applied for a permit, will receive a one-week exemption from fines, provided they produce their permit application to the inspecting officers.”To ensure compliance, the DSP held a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the Sikshit Berozgar Tempo Chalak Sangh (SBTCS) and instructed them to make sure all drivers carry the necessary paperwork. Any auto-rickshaw found parked in a no-parking zone will be seized immediately, he warned.Welcoming the initiative, SBTCS president Shyam Kinkar Jha said that the drive will help discipline operators who repeatedly flout traffic regulations and the Motor Vehicles Act.East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Rajiv Ranjan on Monday had directed the police to tackle irregular auto operations, curb illegal parking and streamline the city's overall traffic system.Over 20,000 auto-rickshaws ply on the city streets every day. Out of these, 30% are CNG and merely 1% of them are e-autos.