Drunk-driving checks leave Hyderabad auto owners struggling as drivers go missing

Hyderabad: Vehicle owners are caught in a quandary following intensified drunk-driving checks by the traffic police, as several auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers are reportedly going missing after their vehicles are detained. Fearing heavy fines and possible jail terms, the drivers are avoiding the police and court proceedings, leaving vehicle owners struggling to trace them and secure the release of their vehicles.

In several instances, owners have spent days searching for their drivers, only to learn that they have left for their native villages to avoid appearing before the court. With their vehicles remaining in police custody, the owners are losing their daily income and facing difficulties in meeting their financial commitments.

An auto-rickshaw owner said he had searched for his driver for more than 10 days after his vehicle was detained during a drunk-driving check. He later learnt that the driver had gone to his native village fearing that the court might send him to jail. When he approached the police seeking the release of his vehicle, he was told that the driver had to appear before the court. Alternatively, he could furnish surety assuring that the driver would attend the court proceedings.

Mahmood Khan, an auto-rickshaw owner from Moghalpura, said the detention of vehicles was causing considerable hardship to owners who depended on rental income. “Our livelihood depends on the daily rent we collect from drivers. When a vehicle is detained and the driver disappears, we lose our income without knowing when it will be released,” he said.

Mukhtar Baig, an auto-rickshaw owner from Tallabkatta, said the problem affected two families. “The driver earns his livelihood by operating the rented vehicle, while we depend on the rent to support our families. If the driver disappears after a drunk-driving case, both families suffer. The vehicle remains idle and we have no means of recovering our losses,” he said.

A traffic police official, unwilling to be quoted, said tracing drivers after their vehicles were detained was a major challenge. “The violators do not attend court and switch off their mobile phones. We cannot deploy special teams from the law and order wing to trace every such driver and produce them before the court,” the official said.

Police officials cited staff shortages and lengthy legal procedures as constraints.