HYDERABAD: As last-mile connectivity takes on a whole new meaning with dockless scooters, rental cars and bikes flooding the city, police are finding it hard to catch up with people who use these modes of transport and violate traffic rules.
Though these technology-packed, self-drive rental services have made life easy for commuters, several drivers are misusing them and breaking traffic rules. It is easier to violate rules on rental bikes and cars since notices from the traffic police go to the company that rents them out and not those who are driving it then.
In the case of dockless bikes, where one need not go and deposit the bike back at a designated centre, several users are seen dropping off their bikes on footpaths, junctions or even flyovers! In dockless bike services, which were introduced in the city last month,
the scooters are keyless and operate only after scanning QR codes and OTP and so can be left anywhere without the fear of theft. However, since they are always circulating in the city with only digital supervision, the users themselves have to fill fuel which they fail to and so when the bike runs out of fuel, instead of taking it to a petrol station nearby, they find it easy to simply desert the bikes wherever they please and end the trip.
‘Will work on controlling misuse of technology’
“This lack of basic civic sense has created a tricky situation for us. When vehicles are left in no-parking zones, or caught with some violation, we tow the vehicle away and park them in the police station. Despite that, using QR codes and OTPs, other users come and take the vehicle from the police station itself. We have had few such cases and are looking for ways to control the situation,” noted DCP Vijay Kumar, Cyberabad Traffic Police.
Furthermore, it is learnt that since most of these services require people to merely upload their driving licence on the app, there is no way to identify whether the person possessing the Driving License is the one actually driving. “At Moosapet, several minors take these bikes to learn driving by submitting the documents of others. They end up doing wheelies and other stunts on the same and create a ruckus,” said Akshay Kumar, a resident from the city.“We can only impose fine on those who own the vehicle and so it is the private company which is penalised. It is up to them to further take it up with the customers. We are also ensuring that we make them clear dues by holding routine meetings,” noted Additional CP, Anil Kumar, Hyderabad Traffic Police. The tri-commissionerates have now decided to hold a joint meeting with all the vendors of these services and devise a means to enforce rules more stringently. The police want to work out a method to control the misuse of technology.