Residents for stern action against unrestricted autos

Divya Sharma

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 23

In spite of the recent infrastructural development in the city, commuters as well as residents in the city continue to suffer from the chaos created by unregulated auto-rickshaws.

Over a period of time, it has been seen that the strength of these autos in the city has also increased, causing frequent jams along with giving rise to commuting problems for the local residents. Most of the auto-drivers in their eagerness to pick passengers tend to stop their vehicles in the middle of the road without bothering about impeding the traffic flow.

Though the entire city is affected by this auto menace, the bus stand area, in particular, is the worst hit, where there is hardly any space left for buses to pass, as the auto drivers keep their vehicles parked here. There is a lot of congestion on the road, causing constant traffic jams.

“I was driving from the SSSS Chowk in the afternoon and suddenly an auto-rckshaw driver applied brakes, leading to chaos for a few minutes. The autowallahs don’t care about the traffic rules,” said Sagar Kumar, a local resident.

Even though the authorities are yet to come up with a proper solution to tackle the problem, the residents have suggestions about streamlining this system of transport.

Kuldeep Davessar, another local resident, said, “I am a senior citizen, so for me commuting itself is a difficult job. Sometimes, when I have to cross the road, these vehicles block the passage. Most of the auto drivers are rude, they just want their passenger. There should be a proper taxi stand for the citizens.”

“The auto drivers have no sense of responsibility, as often they pick more passengers than the capacity of their vehicles. CCTV cameras should be installed in these autos, so that they be can caught by the authorities, suggested Seema Sharma, an employee with a private firm.

While suggesting to go for a collective action, Gagan, a student, said, “In my point of view, residents as well traffic authorities should form a forum which can constitute a traffic managing society and it can identify such defaulters.”