Errant driver seen refusing fare on Wednesday in Aundh fails to mend ways, is found repeating offence in Budhwar Peth next day; sensing police presence, some auto men turn good boys

On Day 4 of the auto campaign, most of the drivers caught refusing passengers said that they had to fill up fuel and had to rush home for lunch.u00a0A few of them, aware of the police's presence, agreed to go anywhere the commuters wanted them to go. As many as eight drivers were booked yesterday for either refusing to ply passengers or for overcharging and refusing to go by meter.

Location: Shania Chowk, Bajiro Road, Sadashiv Peth
Time: 12 pm to 2 pm
Offenders caught:u00a05


Old habits die hard: Sarjerao Tanksale (in white Gandhi cap) is
booked by the traffic police after he was caught refusing passengers
once again at Budhwar Peth. Earlier, he was also booked in Aundh for
the same reason. Pic/Krunal Gosavi

For driver Sarjerao Taksale of vehicle no MH-12AR-6509 it was a case of old habits die hard, as he was found flouting rules for the second time on two consecutive days by theu00a0 Faraskhana police in Budhwar Peth for refusing a passenger. His licence was confiscated. Just a day earlier, he had promised the MiD DAY team at Aundh that he would follow all rules and would refrain from troubling commuters. It happened that a passenger Sadhana Naik (45), her husband Shirish (50) and son Rohan (28) travelled in Taksale's auto from the PMC building to Shrinath Chowk, but Taksale left them two stops before the destination.

Taksale was also found talking on his mobile while ferrying passengers. At the Shanipar Chowk, the drivers were found refusing blatantly passengers as they refused to go to Vijay Theatre or Raviwar Peth. When rounded up, the drivers argued that they had to pick up children from a nearby school and were running out of time.