Cuttack, Aug. 8: Autorickshaws and other private vehicles engaged in ferrying schoolchildren have started following safety regulations following police crackdown against overloading.

Fearing action and seizure of vehicles, the owners as well as the drivers of various autorickshaws have decided to abide by the rules of carrying children not beyond the permissible limit. They have also started installing iron grills and keeping first aid boxes in the vehicles.

"I used to carry six children of two schools in my auto. Now, I carry only three children," said Kishore Samal, a driver.

A senior police official said many parents were emphasising on the safety of their wards travelling in hired or shared vehicles. "To save a little money, we were sending our children in shared vehicles. But now, we have arranged two cars to ferry at least six children from our locality," said Sitanshu Das, a businessman.

Das also feels that every parent should keep copies of the driver's driving licence, identity proof and telephone number.

Earlier, the police had penalised 15 vehicles, including nine autorickshaws and two Tata magic cars, for carrying schoolchildren beyond the permissible limit.

The drive was launched following complaints after two children had been injured in a road mishap near Krushak Bazar on June 28.

"We will take up similar drive in near future," said assistant commissioner of police (traffic) P.K. Dalai.

Dalai said a fine of Rs 1,000 each had earlier been slapped on the errant drivers.

According to an Orissa High Court order, an autorickshaw can only carry three passengers, while a Tata Magic is allowed to ferry seven passengers in one trip.

However, many autorickshaws and other vehicles are spotted carrying children to various schools beyond the permissible limit. In many cases, students can also be seen sitting with the driver on the front seat - which is a violation of the motor vehicle rule.

An official of the regional transport office said no vehicle having less than 13-seat capacity could be considered as a school bus or vehicle.

Cuttack regional transport officer Dipti Ranjan Patra said the schools had been asked to submit a database of the number of children coming in private transport.

It will include the vehicle registration number and copies of the driver's licence and his mobile phone number - which the authorities can use in taking action if the vehicle violates the motor vehicle rules.