Gurgaon auto drivers help decongest road outside Huda Metro station

Autorickshaw drivers in Gurgaon have come forward to contribute in reducing the chaos outside Metro stations in the city.

Autorickshaw drivers in the city have come forward to contribute in reducing the chaos outside Metro stations.

Autorickshaws parked in order after drivers and members of the Haryana Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh started managing movement of three-wheelers. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

For the past three days, around 50 autorickshaw drivers and members of the Haryana Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh have been managing movement of three-wheelers around the Huda City Centre Metro station with the help of the traffic police.

Huda City Centre is the terminal station on the Huda-Jahangirpuri Metro line (yellow line). With thousands of commuters exiting the station every day, it has been a good spot for auto drivers to get passengers. These auto drivers mostly stand at the two gates of the station and hound commuters. The area around the gates is clogged with autorickshaws all the time, causing chaos on the road.

On Thursday, the union of the autorickshaw drivers took up the responsibility of solving the issue of traffic congestion around the metro station.

The union, along with 2,600 autorickshaw drivers plying in the area, are now making sure that the area is not clogged due to the parking of autos.

The union members are ensuring that the autorickshaws are parked in two rows inside the service lanes. The autos were otherwise parked on the main carriageway.

Some autorickshaw drivers have been made volunteers who check that all autos are parked in two rows in the service lanes around the station. They ensure that no vehicle is parked on the main carriageway.

The union members are making sure that the two gates of the station are not clogged by three-wheelers. “At any given point, around 20 volunteers help in managing the traffic around the station. These drivers do not let any vehicle stand on the road outside the metro station,” he said.

Moreover, the union members also see that no autorickshaw driver enters the compound of the station. The drivers are now getting passengers turn-wise.

Other than traffic management, the union is also making sure that all drivers undergo police verification.

The union is making the drivers fill police verification and identity forms. These forms will be given to the local police and any driver who is not verified will not be allowed to drive in the city.

“We are also checking that the drivers are properly verified and they have identity cards. The union is also making sure that the drivers wear uniforms and badges every day,” Sharma said.

Commuters, meanwhile, are happy with the initiative. “It is a pleasant surprise to see autorickshaws parked in lines and their drivers not crowding the station,” said Priya Rajput, a metro commuter.