Mixed response on autorickshaw display card system

DIMAPUR — In a total disregard to the efforts of Dimapur police to streamline smooth functioning of autorickshaw drivers in order to ensure safety of passengers by introducing display card, several of them were seen without the display card.

Even as the dateline for acquiring the display card expired on February 29 as notified by the office of the commissioner of police, Dimapur, several autorickshaws were seen functioning without any compunction on Friday.

The auto-rickshaw display card system was launched on December 16, 2023, for Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland districts. The display card system was reintroduced by the Dimapur Police with an objective to make people travelling by autorickshaw safer, optimise and manage transparency among the autorickshaw drivers and commuters.

A police officer informed Eastern Mirror that the registration process is still on as the vehicle drivers and the owners are turning up at the last hour.

“This exercise will be ongoing as every vehicle should have the display card in their autorickshaw. Meanwhile, we will also check on vehicles which are yet to obtain the display card following which their vehicle will be impounded,” the officer said.

The police officer also clarified that the autorickshaws coming to obtain the display card are charged a nominal fee of INR 100 for the printing press cost.

On the non-compliance from the vehicle drivers and owners, the officer revealed that this initiative was not just of the Dimapur Police but was decided upon with the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Dimapur for crime prevention and detection, passengers’ security, improper documented autos and vehicles running illegally.

“This is not the first time that the display card system in Dimapur is being introduced as some years back the Dimapur Police had introduced the same initiative, which however was not operative as many autorickshaw drivers and owners failed to comply with the initiative,” the officer added.

While the police failed to provide detail on the number of autorickshaws confiscated on March 1 as decided, it was relayed that the process of registration would continue in the coming days adding that autorickshaws without the display cards would impounded.