Around 105 autos were seized during a surprise checking drive across the State capital on Friday. All of them were running without permit certificates. Transport officials and staff divided in four teams held the checking drive for around three hours. The list of the areas where the checking drive was conducted included Naga Baba Khatal, Kantatoli Chowk, Karamtoli Chowk, Jail More, Circular Road, Argora Chowk, Kutchery Chowk, Rajendra Prasad Chowk, Hinoo Chowk, Birsa Chowk, Harmu Road, Kishori Yadav Chowk, Station Road and New Market.
“The step was taken following the directions of Jharkhand High Court. According to the instructions, 8,000 permit autos are allowed to be driven within the city,” Enforcement Sub Inspector Sushil Kumar said. According to Regional Transport Authority Secretary Rajesh Kumar Barwar, the seized autos have been kept at Police line, Jagannathpur police station and lalpur police station.
At Kantatoli Chowk, two auto drivers denied to hand over their autos after which a dispute occurred with the traffic police personnel. District Transport Officer Nagendra Paswan was present there. Sushil Kumar said that the errant drivers were arrested and sent to lower Bazaar Police Station for further inquiry.
A former Traffic Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) felt this checking drive was the need of the hour as tempo drivers never adhere to use the marked route. “Those autos, which should run between New Market and Birsa Chowk are sometimes seen on Main Road. This is not justified,” added the DSP. Sources maintained a similar massive drive was held around four years back under the supervision of former Senior SP Praveen Kumar who is now the Deputy Inspector General of Ranchi Zone.
Barwar will be holding a meeting with representatives of the non-permit autos on Saturday morning, who claim that they are not guilty. “As per my information, about 76 autos were seized in one part of the campaign while 48 autos were seized in another part,” said the Regional Transport Authority Secretary.
The drive was transport department’s second initiative ahead of the ‘Road Safety Week’ scheduled from January 11 to 17. Around 20 school buses were found violating the basic road safety norms on Thursday at Sahjanand Chowk and Birsa Chowk.