'Action is initiated for every complaint registered with RTO'

MiD DAY questions transport official on errant autorickshaw drivers, commuter problems and new schemes

MiD DAY interviews Regional Transport Officer Chandrakant Kharatmal, as he answers questions about the harrowing transport situation in the city, the number of growing vehicular traffic and every other issue that will affect how you reach your destination.

The auto rickshaw unions have become more demanding and have reportedly rejected several government schemes like electronic-digital meters, which would have probably tackled the widespread menace of meter-tampering. Has the RTO found a golden mean to satisfy the auto drivers as well as the passengers?

Regarding electronic meters, the opposition from the auto unions has to be tackled as part of a policy decision from the state and not from the RTO. Until that happens, at my level, I either need to find a middle path to deal with the issue or continue with the existing system ensuring its smooth functioning. We also hold regular forums with consumer groups, traffic police and auto unions and discuss issues like faulty meters, overcharging of fares, refusal to ply, among others. If any auto is suspected to have a faulty meter it isu00a0immediately checked at the Alandi Road office. We also conduct meter checking on roads which are relatively free of traffic and long in length, so that the meters can be checked by our inspectors without any obstacles.

There are cases of auto rickshaw drivers plying without the meters. Even after a complaint is lodged with the RTO through its helpline number, the same rickshaw can be seen at the stand with no action taken against it...
I can guarantee you that whenever you complain via phone, SMS or e-mail, your complaint is registered and an action is initiated.u00a0 However, it's a long process since after the complainant provides the registration number of the vehicle, we first check his antecedents, his records, after which the details are then forwarded to the trafficu00a0 police. So the next day when the same auto is found on the streets, it does not mean the complaint has been overlooked but is rather under process. In fact, the RTO helpline number displayed on the various auto rickshaw stands in the city was the first of its kind in the country and received a lot of positive response from the public. Even the media had highlighted the issue. There was this incident when an auto man refused a fare to the railway station. The passenger sent an SMS to our helpline and received an acknowledgement of the complaint immediately. When he showed the reply from the RTO office to the rickshaw driver, he actually started weeping and agreed to take him anywhere he wanted to go.

Does the RTO department coordinate with the traffic police?
Definitely. The traffic police have more manpower, unlike the RTO who are severely understaffed with only 13 to 14 officers and inspectors.

Are all the complaints made in the helpline number addressed? Is there a way to find out the number of complaints made and take remedial action on older complaints?
Each and every complaint is addressed and most importantly verified. Many a times, commuters give false and frivolous complaints and in these cases we understand the issue carefully to ensure the rickshaw driver is not punished for no fault of his. Sometimes even auto drivers claim the registration number mentioned by the complainant is not his. In such cases, we verify the complainant's version and see if he is sure about the number. We also hide the complainant's identity if such a request is made.

The biometric card scheme failed to take off which involved storing all the details of a rickshaw driver along with his thumb impression in a digital smart card. This would have helped the police and RTO to catch hold of auto drivers involved in various crimes, especially when they abscond. Does the authority plan to revive the scheme in the near future?
In any case we do not give permits to anyone without first checking their antecedents. However, the Delhi-based IT company that came up with the scheme was not able to market it properly and the owner started facing some financial trouble as well. So the scheme failed to take off. But if another private company approaches us with a similar scheme, we will surely consider it. For example, the dial-a-cab scheme is run by a private company in partnership with the RTO.

Several school buses in the city violate RTO norms openly, which stipulate yellow paint for schoolbus, grills on the windows, installing fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and emergency exit on the rear right hand side. Most of these violations occur in cases where the buses are run through a private contract between the parents and bus operators and the schools often relinquish responsibilities saying they do not operate the buses. Whose responsibility do you think it is in such cases?
The RTO has always maintained that during such cases, even the school should look into the matter ensure and that the buses in which their students ply in should have all the prescribed safety measures.