RTA officials remain mute spectators when autos flout norms, but target two-wheelers and four-wheelers
Autowallahs deploy their men by wearing ‘Traffic Police Volunteer’ to ensure that the autos are parked haphazardly in Karimnagar town
Autorickshaws are primarily designed for short-distance, intra-city commutes ranging from 3 to 10 kilometres rather than long-range travel. But, the autos are coming from far-off places, over 60 kilometers distance to Karimnagar
KARIMNAGAR, JULY 16, 2026: Throwing all norms to the wind, auto-rickshaws seem to be having a free run on Karimnagar Commissionerate roads as the traffic police and officials of the Transport Department have failed to keep a check on them.
One can easily spot some auto-rickshaw operators plying their autos on roads without uniforms, carrying passengers more than their capacity and parking their vehicles at their sweet will. They hardly bother about traffic snarls caused by them or any incident occurring on the road with their move of parking their autos in a non-parking place.
Auto rickshaw operators stop their vehicles anywhere in the middle of the road once they see passengers as their potential customers, putting the lives of other commuters at risk.
They park autos at their whim and fancy, causing traffic snarls and adjusting more than three passengers. They flout traffic rules right under the nose of traffic police personnel.
Autorickshaws are primarily designed for short-distance, intra-city commutes rather than long-range travel. Typical passenger trips range from 3 km to 10 km. As per the rules, a maximum of three passengers can be accommodated by auto drivers of these vehicles in their back seats. But what is seen is that passengers are not only packed in autos, but also are made to adjust themselves as they precariously share the front seat with the driver. Some of the autos also made provisions to ensure that the passengers also sit in the backside of the vehicle dangling in the air.
Though the autos have been designed to travel a distance ranging from three kilometres to 10 kilometers. But the hordes of autos are coming from far-off places such as Tarigoppula, Jangaon, Siddipet, Jagtial, Godavarikhani, Peddapalli, Sircilla, Manthani, Warangal and more travelling from other districts to reach Karimnagar town.
Students being ferried to and fro up to schools in autos are at risk as most of the drivers pack students like sardines in autos and hang their bags and other belongings on an iron hook on the rear of the vehicle.
To get more passengers, auto-rickshaws are often seen parked all over the road outside the bus stand in Karimnagar town. One may often spot autos parked right in the middle of the road waiting for passengers, causing traffic snarls during peak traffic hours. The autowallahs also deployed some volunteers posing as ‘Traffic police volunteer’ and helping the non-local autos to encroach roads illegally at RTC bus station, DCCB bank area and other locations.
Aditya, a bank employee, “Rules must be imposed with strictness. Moreover, it has been seen that most auto drivers violate traffic norms as they take turns and pull the brakes wherever they feel like.”
Even as the overloaded autos pass in front of the RTA office in Nusthullapur in Thimmapur mandal, the officials remain mute spectators, and they warn two-wheelers to wear helmets and four-wheelers to wear seat belts while driving.
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