Women friendly ‘Pink Auto’ launched today in Cuttack, Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Nov 18:

To ensure safety of women, pink auto-rickshaws will ply in the millennium city of Odisha from today.

After the success of pink auto service in Bhubaneswar, the commissionerate police has extended the service to Cuttack for safe travel of women.

In the joint endeavour by commissionerate police and auto-rickshaw association to reduce harassment of women travellers, pink auto service has has been launched on Wednesday in Cuttack.

In in the first phase 100 Pink auto-rickshaws will be introduced in the service. Pink auto kiosks will be opened at five places in the city-Badambadi, railway station, SCB Medical College and Hospital, SB Women’s college and CDA, the sources said adding that dress code arrangements have been made for the pink auto drivers.

These special pink coloured three-wheelers are women friendly and are labelled ‘Pink Auto’.  The auto drivers have to pass psychological tests by a trained psychologist to eliminate ‘criminal minds’.

On June 27, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had launched ‘Pink Auto’ service for women commuters in Bhubaneswar, after complaints of harassement, molestation, theft, and forging identity cards by auto drivers.

As many as 457 Pink autos are running in Bhubaneswar. Currently, Pink Auto kiosks are in service at five places in the city. They are Vani Vihar, Jayadev Vihar, Master Canteen, KIIT Square and Baramunda.