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Journalism of Courage
SURAT, Aug 4: A delegation comprising leaders of all major autorickshaw unions submitted a memorandum to Police Commissioner Maniram, on Tuesday, demanding that the RTO memo chalan that the traffic police issue regularly, be scrapped.
They also demanded that traffic police should stop taking on-the-spot fines and not confiscate their RC books, licences and other papers.
Meanwhile, the Regional Transport Office RTO has maintained that as it was short staffed to carry out routine checks, it did not object to the traffic police doing the job.
The union leaders, meanwhile, have alleged that the traffic police threatened rickshaw drivers of the memo and thereby managed to pocket anything between Rs 50 to Rs 100. 8220;The traffic policemen first demand Rs 400 for a settlement, and though reduce the amount, let go the drivers only after getting something. Besides, drivers are given a traffic court memo, which although attracts fines less than that of the RTO, costing upto Rs 150.8221;
The leaders alleging that the traffic police and the RTO worked hand in glove, claimed that though they had raised the problem a number of times, authorities had ignored their plight.
An RTO official, in response to the allegation, said the several rickshaw drivers had not paid road and other tax for years, so it was natural that the traffic police issued them RTO memos.
8220;The same procedure is followed everywhere else,8221; he pointed out.
When contacted, Police Commissioner Maniram, said he would look into the matter and address drivers problems soon.
