One month after Delhi gangrape, autos still refusing to take passengers

New Delhi: It has been a month since the 23-year-old paramedical student was allegedly gangraped and brutally assaulted by six men inside a private bus and later died in Singapore hospital. The horrific crime shook the nation and people came out in large numbers to protest against it forcing the government to take steps to ensure the safety of women.

Even the courts pulled up the Delhi Police and directed senior police officers to patrol roads and streets. These steps raised the hopes that women would finally feel safe in the national capital. But has the situation changed from what it was on December 16, 2012 when the braveheart was forced to take the ill-fated bus as auto rickshaws refused to take her home.

IBN7 finds that the situation remain as grim as it was on December 16 with auto rickshaws flatly refusing to taken women to their destinations. There have been promises of more patrolling, a 24x7 women's helpline and promise of gender training of police, protests and many more.

Auto rickshaws were only interested in ferrying passengers over short distances or demanded exorbitant amount.

But ask any young unescorted woman on Delhi's roads whether she feels any safer a month after the December 16 gangrape and the answer will be "no".

IBN7's first stop was the Select City Mall in Saket from where the barveheart and her male friend failed to get an auto rickshaw. IBN7 found no change in attitude of auto rickshaw drivers. They are busy harassing people and refusing to taken them to their destinations. IBN7 tried to hire an auto rickshaw for Noida, but all of them refused.

The first impression was that they were not interested as Noida falls in Uttar Pradesh. But then came another shocker as the auto rickshaws were only interested in ferrying passengers over short distances or demanded exorbitant amount.

When the autos were asked if they would go to Mayur Vihar 3 which is on the Delhi-Noida border, some of them refused again while others suggested the Delhi Metro.

According to the traffic rule, no auto rickshaw can refuse to go to any part of Delhi but they have been doing so blatantly. But the failure of the authorities to clamp down on the auto mafia has meant that Delhi roads remain unsafe for women.

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