HC seeks info on continuous misuse of auto as share auto

Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Wednesday directed the government to file a report as to how many

auto permits

have been cancelled for continuously violating the rules against the misuse of auto as stage carriage or share auto.

The case concerned a PIL filed last year by advocate P Balamurugan seeking a direction to the transport and police authorities to stop allowing the three-seater autos to be operated as share auto or stage carriage.

The court had recently directed the transport authority to ensure that no autorickshaw was operated as stage carriage / share autorickshaw and if any auto was found violating the same, strict action be taken including suspension / cancellation of the permit. The court had also directed to file action taken report before it.

Accordingly, on Wednesday when the case came up for hearing before the division bench of justices K K Sasidharan and G R Swaminathan, the government side filed the counters of assistant commissioner of police (traffic) P Joseph Nixon and Regional Transport Officer of Madurai South P Suresh. The assistant commissioner said that 2,035 autos were booked for violation of seat alteration from 2015 to August 15, 2017. They included 396 autos in 2015, 1,003 in 2016 and 636 this year. The officer also said that 36 proposals were sent to Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) for suspension / cancellation of autorickshaw permits.

Regional Transport Officer of Madurai South, P Suresh, said 1,094 auto permits were suspended and 1,176 autos detained for the misuse of auto as stage carriage / share auto from January 1, 2014 to August 15. He also stated that Rs 10.20 lakh was collected as fine for various violations. Following this, the bench asked the government side, “How many permits have been cancelled for violating the rules continuously?” As there was no reply from the government side, the court directed it to file a report in that regard and adjourned the case to September 6.