Title - Prepaid auto fares hiked with effect from December 1 - The Times of India

HYDERABAD: Commuters utilising prepaid auto system at Secunderabad railway station have to shell out some extra money from December 1. Based on the recent auto fare hike by the government, a committee that supervises the prepaid booth facility has revised the fares.

Since November 24, 2011, five prepaid auto counters have been operating at the Seucunderabad railway station and in the past one year over five lakh passengers utilized their services.

Traffic police said 30 cases of missing luggage were also detected from autos hired from the pre-paid service.

Police are now studying the feasibility of extending the system to MGBS, Kacheguda and Nampally railway stations.

Briefing the media about their flagship programme 'drive against drunken driving' here on Tuesday, additional commissioner of police (Traffic) C V Anand said: "We will request the judiciary to give jail sentences to those who have more than 150 mg/100 ml of blood alcohol." Traffic police are also planning to build a 'women' team in traffic police so that even women drunk drivers could be checked.

As about 80% of offenders were youngsters aged between 18 to 30 years, the additional CP advised them to download 'Drink Companion' applet on to their mobile phones to check blood alcohol level.

"If their blood alcohol level is in permissiable limits - 30 mg/100 ml -- they can drive and, if not, they better find a safer alternative -- hiring an auto or cab," the additional CP said. In the past one year, police have booked 10,277 cases against drunken drivers.