PUNE, Dec 2: Determined to ensure the safety of school children travelling by auto-rickshaw, the Pune Police Commissionerate and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) have launched an unprecedented drive against errant auto-rickshaw drivers of the city. One hundred and eighty police personnel spread out all over the city between 7 a m and 9 a m this morning and posted themselves outside nearly 200 schools, in a bid to clamp down on auto-rickshaw drivers ferrying more than six children to and from schools.

The action plan, formulated in collaboration with the RTO, follows efforts initiated two months ago to bring some method to the chaotic and dangerous system of school transport here.

``Eighteen officers comprising two assistant commissioners of police, two inspectors and 14 sub-inspectors with 10 men under each of them will carry out this operation that has been initiated under the direction of the police commissioner. Stringent action will be taken against every rickshaw exceeding the limit of the number of school children it is authorised to ferry. All the cases will be reported to the RTO which has the authority to suspend their permits,'' Prakash D Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, told The Indian Express. ``We expect to cover approximately 180 to 200 schools and to drive home the point that we are serious about this problem.''

DCP Pawar said that Road Safety Patrol teachers and children have been asked to help. ``There will also be a special officer extended by the RTO in all the three zones under the commissionerate so that action can be initiated against the offending auto-rickshaw drivers on the spot,'' he stated.

Earlier, the Pune Police Commissionerate had taken serious note of the problem and forwarded letters to principals of various schools two months ago. The letters urged them to speak to parents and rickshaw drivers to ensure that children do not travel in overcrowded rickshaws.

DCP Pawar says the response of the principals has been encouraging. He added, ``We also held meetings with the Rickshaw Panchayat representatives and even they recognise the problem.''

The police commissionerate, which registered 266 cases against errant auto-rickshaw drivers in September and October, have registered 95 cases on November 26, 29 and 30 alone.

The RTO too has geared itself for the task ahead. ``In the past fortnight we took action against 67 auto-rickshaws for breaking the rules, out of which 28 were those ferrying school children. In the last 10 days, another 10 have been brought to book,'' said Bharat Kalaskar, assistant regional transport officer.

``We have a three-pronged action plan to check this hazardous menace - propaganda, dialogue with rickshaw organisations and action to be undertaken by our flying squad in case of the offenders,'' said Kalaskar.

``We have also decided to have two officers permanently on this job of hauling up overcrowded school vehicles instead of a three-day or seven-day drive that has a temporary effect,'' he added.

As the authorities attempt to find a viable solution to a problem that has become almost endemic to Pune, perhaps there is hope yet for the 50,000 kids that travel in over-crowded three-wheelers.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.