They contended that in the first place it was wrong to issue two permits for autorickshaws -- one as a regular commercial vehicle and another for transporting school children.

Claiming that though the drivers had initiated all safety measures in the autorickshaws on their own, the rickshaw union leaders alleged that the traffic police and the Road Transport Office (RTO), along with RTO agents, had exploited the ``good gesture'' to harass them.

Talking to Express Newsline, Jashubhai Barot, president of Shakti Autorickshaw Sangh questioned, ``Are school children not passengers? Have not rickshaws already been issued permits to carry passengers? Is it not illogical to have two permits for just one vehicle?''

According to Barot, the practice of ``taking necessary precautions for school children'' was initiated more than two decades ago by drivers themselves. He said that `school auto' was inscribed on the rickshaws so that other vehicles could be careful and that grills were put up so that the children did not fall off.

A couple of years ago, the transport department, however, issued a directive specifying that those drivers who transported school children had to obtain special permits for the purpose. The directive specified that besides writing `school auto' on such rickshaws, both sides of the vehicle had to be fitted with grills.

The directive further stated that such rickshaws would have to fit a carriage on top of the vehicle and also put up hooks for keeping school bags. It also specified that not more than nine children could travel in an autorickshaw. RTO officials had earlier stated that they were just following guidelines issued by the department on autorickshaws.

But contending that there wasn't any law for school autos, Barot said that he was going to approach officials of the traffic department and the RTO to demand that the system of issuing exclusive permits for school autos be cancelled. ``I have also decided to write to the transport minister on this issue,'' he stated.

The sharp reaction from autorickshaw union has come in the wake of concrete plans being made by the traffic police to ensure that autorickshaws abide by the rules, which both the police and rickshaw union leaders admit are being flouted at will.

Of the 60,000-odd autorickshaws that ply in the city, more than 15,000 transport school children. Depending on the number of school children being carried, charges vary from Rs 100 to 175 per month per child. Rickshaw drivers charge as less as Rs 100 if parents opted to send their children in rickshaws already carrying nine or more. With parents more than willing to send their wards in packed-rickshaws, the task of the police becomes all the more difficult.

The city police have already spelt out that it seriously intended to get erring drivers to abide by the rule book as part of the traffic restructuring that has been initiated. H P Singh, Additional Commissioner of Police (range II), however, said that this issue had to be examined closely before any steps could be initiated.