First day of enforcement sees massive flouting

Police yesterday gave out penalty tickets to1,000 CNG-run auto-rickshaws because they were operating without meters defying an ultimatum.

The Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) had given all 13,000 registered auto-rickshaws time till January 31 to install meters.

Authorities also had announced that violators would face penalty from February 1.

When asked why his vehicle did not have a meter, driver Abdur Shahid said, "If the unregistered autos can ply the streets without meters, then why can't I drive mine despite having a registered vehicle?"

Another driver, Haider Azam, however, said many owners assumed that the deadline would be extended; that's why they did not install the meters. He hoped that the remaining auto-rickshaws would have meters installed within two or three days.

Deputy Commissioner (traffic) of CMP Masud ul Hasan, who is in-charge of monitoring installation of meters, said 3,000 auto-rickshaws had had meters installed, and another 6,000 would have them soon.

He hoped that the rest of the auto-rickshaw owners would apply within a few days for installation as police were taking action against the violators.

There are 13,000 registered and 5,000 unregistered CNG-run auto-rickshaws currently operating in Chittagong city.

Reacting to the police action, drivers of the most of the registered auto-rickshaws said they were being harassed for not having meters while unregistered ones were plying freely.