PUNE, Dec 4: The Pune traffic police branch has reportedly decided to slow down the crack-down on three-seater autorickshaw drivers ferrying more than six children as the Vidyarthi Vahatuk Sanghatana owing allegiance to the Pune City Autorickshaw Federation has threatened an agitation.Sanghatana president Bapu Bhave, who led a morcha to the divisional commissionerate here on Wednesday to protest against the action, claimed that the traffic authorities had agreed to go slow till a final decision was taken by Arun Bhatia, Divisional Commissioner and chairman of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA). Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Prakash Pawar was not available for his comments.Earlier, as many as 165 autorickshaws were found packed with children beyond the permissible limit. A fine of Rs 50 was imposed on each violator, sources said.The Sanghatana's contention was that the state government had, in 1986, agreed to allow autorickshaws to carry 10 primary school children. For Balwadi or pre-primary, the limit was 12 children.This was stated by Federation office-bearers and former BJP MP Anna Joshi. The traffic police and the RTA were free to take action against drivers flouting this limit. But they need to issue warnings before the crack-down, Bhave argued. Bhatia had assured the Sanghatana that he would decide the issue within the next couple of days, he added.Ironically, Joshi had raised the issue many years ago in the state assembly after a mishap claimed the lives of seven children in 1986.The Federation said that after the 1986 mishap, carrying of maximum 10 children was allowed to make it affordable to the rickshaw drivers and parents. It has now appealed to the RTA to allow a maximum of 10 children to be carried.
