Autorickshaw, bus drivers claim they are being forced to attend the voluntary programme that's aimed at reducing cases of drink driving
Autorickshaw, bus drivers claim they are being forced to attend the voluntary programme that's aimed at reducing cases of drink driving
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The drivers don't seem pleased with the initiative a four-hour daily training session for six months claiming that they are being forced to attend.
Traffic police records show that on an average, 30 drunk auto drivers get caught every month.
Earlier, BMTC drivers had attended training programmes organised by the traffic police at the Traffic Management Centre.
The Ulsoor traffic police station has registered 15 drink driving cases against auto drivers this month, while the Ashok Nagar traffic police station registers four to five cases every week.
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The Audogodi traffic police station has registered the highest with 40 cases this year.
Srinivas Murthy, president, Auto Rickshaws Drivers Union, said, "Since we are being forced, 100 of our 21,000 members will attend."
Criticising the entire exercise, Murthy added, "There is no use of such classes. Not that we approve of our drivers' habits but such classes will not change them."
The auto union also expressed a worry of drivers having to keep off the roads for four hours and that too up to six months.
"There is no time to send them. If they spend four hours in this class how'll they provide for their families?"
M Manjunath, president of Adarsh Auto Union, said, "We'll send 100 drivers from our union, but we can't say for sure who drinks and drives and who doesn't.
We do worry about our passengers." He added, "It is common belief that drivers drink and drive. I don't know if these classes will help them."
GG Hegde, HRO, BMTC, said, "I don't see the need to send our drivers to such classes. We have our own treatment centre for alcohol abusers. And that is only a 40-day programme."
Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner, Traffic Police and Security, said, "We're trying to sensitise them and educate them.
Auto drivers complain about everything. So we have asked them to show up and take these classes."
Dr Rohit Baluja, president, Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), said, "This initiative is different from others because it's not just about trying to get the elite to understand. We're trying to educate a neglected community."
He added, "I don't know if they go back to their old ways after leaving our programme, but as teachers we can only provide them with tools."
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