1,500 autorickshaws challaned

The drive was launched after Traffic Police received information than most of autorickshaws in the city are operating without mandatory Public Service Vehicle badge, particularly during night.

"To verify things and discipline wrongdoings, we carried a city wide check last night from 9 PM to 10:30 PM and results were bad for the city," Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said.

Of the 2,570 autos checked, 657 did not have the mandatory badges and a large number of drivers did not even have driving licences, he said.

A total of 1,480 challans were issued in 90 minutes and 651 of the owners who allowed these to be driven by unauthorised drivers.

"For this offence, which is termed, violation of permit conditions, they are likely to get permit suspended for a period up to 30 days. We would continue action against this unsafe, illegal operations of autos in the city," Garg said.

Root cause of overcharging and refusals by autos is the plying by drivers who are not owners of their vehicles.

"They violate rules and their owners contribute in this. They do not have PSV badges and many times even driving licences," Garg said.