More auto – cab drivers booked for refusal to carry passengers

As per the data obtained from Traffic Police of Mumbai through an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the cases of refusal against auto drivers has increased over the last three years. The data revealed that while only 5,710 auto drivers were booked for refusals in 2009, the number rose to 14,462 in 2010 and 15,789 in 2011. In case of taxi drivers, the number of drivers booked for refusal was just 4,833 in 2009 which rose to 7,192 in 2010 and 6,232 in 2011. Whether the data reflects an increase in actual refusal or their better recording is not known. The Traffic department had launched special drives in 2010 and 2011 which has reportedly led to more booking of offenders leading to suspension of permits in many cases.

For overcharging, 196 auto drivers were booked in 2009, 221 in 2010 and 108 in 2011. The corresponding figure for overcharging for the three years is 150, 102 and 36 respectively.