The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Auto driver attempts suicide

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 27, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Auto driver attempts suicide

Staff Reporter

Over 500 vehicles seized for plying with tampered meters

PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

Drive intensified: Seized autorickshaws at the Khairtabad RTA office. -

HYDERABAD: Over 500 autorickshaws were seized by the Government on the second day of the special drive against the use of tampered meters on Friday in the city.

With this, the total number of three-wheelers seized for plying with tampered meters rose to 1,000, the Traffic Police Additional Commissioner V.S.K. Kaumudi said. The drive would continue on Saturday.

Special teams comprising officials of the Transport Department, Traffic Police and Legal Metrology checked three-wheelers at different points in the city. An autorickshaw driver, Shiva Kumar, of Balamrai, doused himself in petrol and tried to set himself afire near the Bowenpally police station in protest against the drive.

A constable, however, foiled the driver’s suicide bid.

Prosecution today

Meanwhile, the Regional Transport Authority will prosecute 150-odd auto drivers on Saturday for tampering meters. Prosecution will be initiated in a mobile court stationed at Bowenpally police station, said Joint Transport Commissioner C.L.N. Gandhi.

Special teams were on the roads, armed with electronic machines to detect the faulty meters and it was the intention of the department to ensure that all autorickshaws in twin cities operated with proper meters, he said.

However, Auto-Rickshaw Driver’s Union threatened to launch agitation programmes from Saturday.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail