PERAMBALUR: The large number of share autos plying around Perambalur town has made commuting a severe ordeal for motorists and pedestrians, many of whom have called for action to regulate their numbers and to act against those who do not follow the rules.
As the district continues to expand, the number of motor vehicles has also multiplied, among them over 400 share autos, leading to traffic snarls on main roads. The share autos, along with other existing autorickshaws, operate along the old bus stand to new bus stand, four and three-junction roads, Vadakkumadevi, Thanneer Pandal, Elambalur and Vilamuthur.
With no parking spaces allotted, these share autos are often parked at random places on the roads, causing regular traffic bottlenecks. Complaints have also risen from several locals that the share autos are often found overspeeding, pay no heed to road rules, and cause accidents frequently.
Multiple petitions, coming from motorists and social activists, have been filed at the collectorate, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and the police calling for action, but any response is yet to be seen from their side. Speaking to TNIE, S Vasanth from Vadakkumadevi said, "First of all, share auto drivers do not follow road rules.
They are overcrowded and the radio is played at high volume. The vehicles are also poorly maintained, and they give out deadly smoke. Commuting on these routes, especially the old bus stand to the new bus stand, has become troublesome." He also added, "They park autos in front of the new bus stand and cause traffic jams every day. Bus drivers are struggling to turn their buses there.
The police and RTO's negligence towards the share auto operation and overloading of passengers is a great risk." A Selvaraj, a resident said, "Most of these drivers do not know to drive. They stop unpredictably in the middle of the road and often cause accidents because of this. Many drivers use mobile phones while carrying passengers.
So authorities should check the license and permit of the share autos and take steps to stop their operation completely." When contacted, Perambalur RTO P Prabhakar told TNIE, "We are taking action on auto drivers violating the rules. We do not issue new permits for autos. We are taking steps to reduce the existing ones."