Cuttack, Oct. 14: Police today launched a crackdown on errant autorickshaw drivers in the city and detained two persons for drink driving.
Over 135 autorickshaw drivers were penalised for carrying excess passengers, rash driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. The police collected around Rs 25,000 as fine from the violators.
The crackdown came a day after an autorickshaw driver had allegedly assaulted a woman constable at Badambadi junction.
The police said the constable, Nutan Savita Eka, was severely injured while trying to catch an autorickshaw driver for jumping a traffic signal around 5.45pm yesterday. Eka had sustained severe injuries on her hands and head and was immediately rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Official sources said Eka's condition was stable and she was discharged from the hospital today.
Senior police officials, however, claimed that today's drive was part of the ongoing enforcement against overloading of passengers and rash driving by autorickshaws in the city.
"We have decided to conduct regular drives to ensure that all autorickshaw drivers follow traffic rules and drive their vehicles with proper documents," said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) P.K. Dalai.
Dalai said the crackdown was carried out at three places - Badambadi, Link Road and Bajrakabati Road.
A police official said that at present more that 5,000 autorickshaws ferried passengers in the city, adding that clear instructions had earlier been issued to the drivers to wear identity cards and carry proper documents. The police are now planning to penalise the errant drivers, who will not display their licences, vehicle registration numbers and names inside the autorickshaws. Besides, traffic officials have decided to adopt a zero tolerance against drivers, who would carry excess passengers.
"We hope that the police crackdown does not end here. There is an urgent requirement to ensure that such drives are conducted at least twice a week," said Buxi Bazar resident Rakesh Kumar Nayak.
On June 28, the traffic police launched a special drive after two schoolchildren had been injured in a road mishap near Krushak Bazar. The drivers of 11 vehicles - nine autorickshaws and two Tata magics - were penalised for carrying more children than the permissible number.
