Nearly a third of the 12,000-odd south Calcutta autos ply on more than 85 routes without valid papers, including permits.
But the drivers have the most important certificate with them: the support of the auto union backed by the Indian National Trinamul Trade Union Congress (INTTUC).
A daily contribution of Rs 5 takes care of everything, risking the lives of the thousands of people travelling in autos that may not even exist officially.
Officially, no leader is ready to accept that auto drivers enjoy political patronage.
"INTTUC is not into any form of subscription. We don't print receipts and there is no such system of collecting any money," Dola Sen, the INTTUC president, said. "If there's such a practice, I will find out."
But most drivers on the Rashbehari-Behala Chowrasta route (No. 108) claimed it was all about their allegiance to the party. Which is why most of them had turned up at Mamata Banerjee's July 21 rally. Some said a part of their daily contribution has been used in the past to help needy drivers.
Surajit Das, arrested in connection with the Rashbehari incident where a man and his daughter had allegedly been assaulted, harassed and threatened, is one such driver with political backing.
The leader of the INTTUC-led auto union in Rashbehari, Gopal Sutar, said: "Surajit is really a very nice person. He has been an auto driver for several years. It is sad that such an incident happened.... Not all auto drivers are bad."
People who regularly travel by autos in south Calcutta had different stories to tell. "Drivers are rude. They drive rashly, often stopping journeys midway," said a passenger.
The motor vehicles act makes it a must for an auto driver to carry vehicle papers, including insurance, permit and tax-token.
Most south Calcutta auto drivers don't have at least one of the vehicle papers with them while plying their three-wheelers. Many don't even have a driver's licence or a Pollution Under Control certificate.
A Calcutta traffic police officer said the most serious offence was driving an auto without a permit. "Commercial vehicles cannot ferry passengers without a permit," he said. "If it does, passengers are not entitled to any insurance cover."
Unofficial auto routes in various parts of south Calcutta compound the problem. "The latest is the Rajdanga-Aleya route," a transport department official said. "Others like Haltu-Dhakuria or Deshapriya Park-Lords technically cannot exist because of a high court order."
In August 2004, Calcutta High Court had said new autorickshaw permits would not be issued within the Calcutta metropolitan area. "But new routes had sprung up and autos were plying on them without permits," the official said.
