The much-touted pink autos, introduced keeping women's safety in mind, have given way to quite a few grey areas. What happens if the woman is accompanied by a male? What if the auto owner is unable to make enough trips? A debate takes over Noida, as both women passengers and auto owners deliberate over the pros and cons of the initiative.
There are about 150 pink autos plying in Noida, and most of them have had to suffer losses after entering this "special category". Speaking to City Spidey, Sonu Pal, a pink auto driver, said, "Ever since my auto became a pink one, I have taken maximum 10-12 trips a day, while earlier I used to make 18-20 trips a day on average. I bought the auto for Rs 2.5 lakh, but now I don't know whether I will get any return on this investment."
Pink auto drivers, stationed at various Metro stations in Noida, pointed out that there were strict regulations barring them from ferrying male passengers. Besides, women accompanied by male companions don't take pink autos. "There should be a regulation making it compulsory for female passengers to take only pink autos. Why do the rules apply only to auto drivers?" Pal said.
Pal's frustrations are not unfounded. City Spidey spoke to PR professional Priya Sachdeva, a Sector 71 resident, who travels to Delhi every day for work. "I will choose a normal auto if I am accompanied by a man. Also, the metal nets on the sides of the pink autos make me feel claustrophobic," she said.
But there are many women passengers who feel pink autos are a good initiative, and it gives them a sense of safety.
When City Spidey contacted the assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) of Noida, Rachna Yaduvanshi, for response, she said permits were issued by the department against applications from willing owners — they were not forced upon anyone. "The compulsion of carrying only female passengers is included in the terms and conditions of the issued permit," added Yaduvanshi.
On being asked about the possibility of pink autos ferrying male passengers, Yaduvashi clarified that in case of unavailability of a female passenger, drivers could opt for male passengers. However, she maintained that if any female passenger lodged a complaint against the auto according preference to a male traveller, the driver would be penalised.
