Ghaziabad Police's attempt to verify the background of auto drivers has failed to take off. The drive was launched in the aftermath of the December 16 gang rape incident.
In the past one month since the drive was launched, the police have managed to check the background of only 16 of the 14,000 auto drivers in the city. Senior police officials said despite issuing reminders, only 57 drivers have so far submitted the verification forms.
"The numbers are not very encouraging and I'll soon ask my team to be more active. It is the responsibility of the drivers' unions to submit the forms," superintendent of police Kiran Yadav said.
Monday's gang rape incident was not the first time an auto driver was involved in a crime. In the guise of auto drivers, several auto gangs operate in the city and target passengers on major roads.
In the absence of a robust bus service, shared autorickshaws have become the backbone of public transport in Ghaziabad. The Ghaziabad police had earlier launched a similar verification drive in 2007. But after its failure to check crime, it had banned autorickshaws after 10pm.
The auto drivers' unions, however, alleged that the police demand money in lieu of a positive report.