New Delhi:
They are often abused, harassed and even challaned by policemen for standing their vehicles at no-parking areas, but if one goes by the records, there is not a single authorised stand for the Capital's 55,000 odd autorickshaws.
The Transport Department of Delhi has admitted this recently while responding to an RTI query by an NGO working for the welfare of auto drivers in the city.
"The reply was a shocker for us. This was hard to believe. But the truth is that there is not a single legally authorised stand for the 55,000-odd autos registered in Delhi," Rakesh Agarwal, secretary of NyayaBhumi, said.
"The Transport Department of Delhi has not notified any autorickshaw stand under Section 76 of Delhi Motor Vehicle Act 1993," he said on the RTI reply.
"We have urged many a times to the Transport Department to develop some auto stands in the city. But, in reply, they ask us 'where is the place?."
Agarwal has also filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) suit with the Delhi High Court seeking answer why there is not a single authorised stand for auto rickshaws in the city.
Admitting the PIL, the Delhi High Court has recently issued notices to Delhi's Transport Department and to the traffic police, asking them to reply by the next hearing scheduled for January 13.
There are about 80,000 auto-drivers in the Capital. Most of them are poor and run hired auto-rickshaws. As there was no authorised stand to park their vehicles, they stand their autos where ever they find place.
"But for that they have to pay a hefty amount to the cops every week or every month," Agarwal said. Besides, he said, the auto drivers are challaned very often for illegal parking by traffic officials.
Expressing similar views, Raj Kumar, who runs his auto-rickshaw in the Capital for the past five years, said the cops sometimes behave like mafias.
"We are asked to pay Rs 200-300 every month. Sometimes, they (traffic cops) demand Rs 500 in the name of their senior officials," he alleged. "If you complain, you are going to get more harassment from them. Somebody should come out with a sting operation to nail those corrupt officials," he said, referring to last month's sting operation by a bus operator against some errant officials.
Shishpal Singh Tomar, who runs several RTV buses between Nand Nagri and Ajmeri Gate, had carried out a sting operation against some officials demanding bribes from him to continue to run his vehicles.
He produced the recording evidences before the Crime Branch, which in turn registered an FIR against the traffic policemen.
When contacted, traffic officials also admitted off the record that some of their staff is taking bribes from auto and bus drivers and owners. "Investigation against some officials is going on and law will take its own course if they are found guilty," said a senior official.
Joint Commissioner of Delhi Traffic Police S N Srivastava, however, declined to comment on the issue, saying "an affidavit has already been filed in the high court, I can't say anything more".
In 2004, the traffic police had notified 314 auto rickshaw stands, but they were not used as the municipal authorities did not put up any sign board at the venues. "The addresses given for the stands were also 'vague'.
As per the notification, the stands would be at Katwaria Sarai, Central Market of Lajpat Nagar, and the parking lot at Nehru Place etc. But it did not specify the exact spot. So that did not work," Agarwal said.
The auto stands at railway stations and some busy markets also don't have any legal sanction. These stands are being operated by police at present.
But, Rajiv Garg, the lawyer who filed the PIL on behalf of Agarwal, said, "The police have no power to notify auto stands. The power lies with the Delhi government."