03 May,2010 09:47 AM IST | | Team MiD DAY
On the first day of a widespread campaign launched by MiD DAY and Radio One along with the traffic police and the Regional Transport Office in the city, 13 autorickshaw drivers were booked at four busy locations for refusing fares and overcharging.
As our reporters fanned out across the city along with traffic police officers to book errant drivers, they found citizens noticing them and joining them in the campaign.
Passengers who came forward after learning about the campaign were eager to know if MiD DAY would give any helpline numbers for filing complaints.
Commuters said that even though they face these problems on a daily basis, they don't have an option but to bear the nuisance as they don't know how to file their complaints.
Netagiri
ON the first day of the campaign itself, the reporters and traffic police had to face the ire of local political workers. The workers threatened to harm the police and even the MiD DAY team if they continued 'harassing' rickshaw drivers. In the first hour of the campaign, the reporters caught four rickshaw drivers for over-charging and refusing fare. When a driver was brought to a local traffic division for action, he called Sandip Kedari, a party worker of Republican Party of India from Alandi Road, who came to the station and threatened to "break the bones of traffic police" lest they let go off the driver.
When the reporters intervened and tried to explain the driver's offence, Kedari said, "Will you hang him for this offence? I will hang you guys instead," and also threatened to call women workers from his party to 'set them right'. Jaane bhi do: The officer doesn't seem in any mood to let off the rickshaw driver. Pic/nikhil ghorpade
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Reporter: Kaumudi Gurjar and Abid Hasan
Place: Pune railway station
Time: 10 AM-11 AM
Offenders caught: 2
The first autorickshaw driver approached was told to go to Yerawada. He initially refused but later agreed for an extra charge of Rs 20. Pretending to accept his demand, Assistant Sub Inspector Hussein Shiekh, was approached who later booked the driver for overcharging.
Another autorickshaw driver who refused to ply on the same route was booked too.
Reporter: Alifiya Khan and Abid Hasan
Place: Pune railway station
Time: 11 AM-12 PM
Offenders caught: 2
A Bohri woman in a burkha tried to hail an autorickshaw for Bhawani Peth. The lady and her son were refused by the driver. The traffic police took away his license after he was caught. The commuter Zubeida Bharmal was immediately taken in by the next driver without any complaint.
A few auto drivers, alter fled when asked to go to Yerawada. One driver who stopped to ask for a higher fare was booked.
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Reporter: Kaumudi Gurjar and Sonia Rodrigues
Place: Volvo bus stand at Pune station
Time: 12.15 PM-12.45 PM
Offenders caught: 2
A rickshaw driver was asked to ply to Kothrud. He denied and then Head Constable Gorakhnath Shirke nabbed him and booked Sunil Rajput for not wearing uniform, badge and also not possessing a licence on top of the complaint of denying fare.u00a0
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Reporter: Alifiya Khan and Abid Hasan
Place: Mumbai-Pune taxi stand
Time: 12 PM-1 PM
Offenders caught: 4
An autorickshaw was asked to ply a short distance. He immediately asked for a return fare and was booked. On seeing the prompt action, most rickshaw drivers approached and started offering to ply.
The autorickshaws parked at a rickshaw stand a few metres away were asked to ply.
All drivers refused to go but only three were booked as two or three fled away sighting the traffic police.
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Reporter: Shree Lahiri
Place: Sassoon hospital and Sadhu Vaswani Chowk
Time: 5 PM-5.45 PM
Offenders caught: 3
They whizzed past without stopping after hearing the destination. A few who stopped by gave excuses that they had to rush for offering evening prayers, change of driver's shift and so on.
MiD DAY also managed to get booked three autorickshaw drivers who refused to ply to the desired destination. However, they didn't give up easily and argued down traffic police claiming that they were on their way home and had forgotten to put the meter half down.
