Bombay high court cracks the whip on auto menace in Mira-Bhayander

Taking a serious note of the auto-rickshaw menace in the Mira-Bhayander area, the Bombay high court recently asked the transport commissioner to file an affidavit on what steps he proposes to rid citizens of their daily commutation woes.

“The menace of auto rickshaw drivers plying with passengers [sic] and not charging on the basis of the meter is well known and it is clear that the RTO Officers have not been able to control the same for whatever reasons,” justices BH Marlapalle and UD Salvi said in their order.

The PIL filed by BN Poojari, a resident of the area, had urged the court to direct the authorities to take action against these auto-rickshaw drivers who were not
regulated in any manner.

While the minimum auto-rickshaw fare is Rs11, Poojari said, the auto-rickshaws in Mira-Bhyander charge nothing less than Rs15. He even submitted photographs to the court that showed rickshaws without tariff meters. After pursuing the affidavit of the RTO, the court, however, felt that it is not “acting with full vigour and determination to bring this menace under
control”.

The judges further noted, “We were also informed that in the area under the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, there is only one CNG fuel station and obviously there is a dire need to provide for more such stations, when it is known to the RTO and the state authorities that even as of now there are about 5,600 auto rickshaw plying in the said area.”

Observing that public transport in the area is grossly inadequate, the court has asked the transport commissioner to file his affidavit by January 7.