SCOOT-FREE: Autorickshaws flout every road-safety rule in the Barrackpore belt. Pictures by Kishor Roy Chowdhury

Papri Banerjee: A trip in an autorickshaw from Belghoria railway station is fraught with peril. The drivers insist on overloading the vehicle and will brook no protest. On the Rathtala-Ariadaha route, seven persons are squeezed into an auto. I had complained to the local police station about this and even pointed out the malpractice to the former additional superintendent of police (ASP) through this column of Metro. He had assured me of action, but the problem still thrives. Also, drivers on the Madhyamgram-Sodepur, Sodepur-ferry ghat and Belghoria-Dunlop routes insist that passengers sit on the wrong side of the vehicle and refuse to ply if challenged.

I am not aware of what happened earlier but after I became ASP, I have organised periodic raids to book errant autorickshaw drivers. I feel sustained drives are needed to check this problem. Our raids are conducted by officers not below the rank of SDPO because we expect resistance from the auto drivers. About passengers being forced to board vehicles on the wrong side, thank you for bringing the problem to my notice. I will have to sort it out with the operators on the routes. I assure you such violations of traffic rules, especially on the main roads, will not be tolerated.