MADURAI: The city police have come up with an initiative to establish 'auto zones' 10 metres away from major bus stops to prevent obstruction of buses. These zones will act as a pickup and drop point for passengers searching for auto rides.
S Rangarajan (29), who uses buses regularly for commuting, said the city has narrow roads in many places and many bus stops inside the city.
"Auto drivers park their vehicles exactly in the bus stops, which leads to difficulties for both private and government bus drivers. They are forced to honk so that auto drivers move away," he added.
An auto driver, M Mahesh (60), said, "We board and alight the passengers at the stop so that they need not walk for a long distance. Passengers would not board the auto if we do not do these things. We need to comply with the police instructions so that we don't park the vehicles while buses are coming."
DCP Traffic of Madurai city police Kumar said the auto zones were set up to assist auto drivers and passengers.
"The auto zones would not affect the bus stop. In the auto zones, the driver can pick up or drop the passengers but are not allowed to halt their vehicles. The police have been conducting awareness among the drivers and the public. A small announcement board has already been installed near the auto zones for identification," he said.
Thirukkural at red signal
The city police started broadcasting couplets of Thirukkural through their 32 traffic signals in Madurai. The police have already been broadcasting music to help commuters relax while waiting at the signal. Traffic awareness messages are also broadcast.
They are considering introducing Tamil poems with the meaning explained in the coming days.