If you are a Delhiite and do not own a car, you must be among thousands who struggle to board an auto – either to avoid the rush in buses or to commute between the bus stand/metro station to home or office.

So when auto drivers misbehave; refuse to take you to your destination or charge much more than the meter reading, what do you do? Do you complain? Well most of us do not, says Satyendra Garg, joint CP traffic Delhi.

Garg agrees that almost everyone in the national capital faces this problem. But, he adds, the bigger problem is there are not enough complaints.

“We keep advertising about the helpline number and SMS services but people have the tendency to look for it only when they need it. As a daily traveler one should keep the number with himself,” he said.

Following a news report, where the reporter wrote about the harassment she faced by an auto driver, Garg says complaining to the right authority is equally important.

“It was severe offence, so calling the PCR was a right thing to do as they are best to be approached for immediate response. But they receive thousands of calls and there are 630 vehicles on Delhi roads. So one should complain to the traffic department for all the other reasons,” he says.

In 2012, Delhi traffic police received 3,049 complaints of refusal by the drivers and just 232 and 164 cases of overcharging and misbehavior respectively.

Garg says immediate action is taken against all the complaints registered. Apart from this, he adds, even the transport department of the Delhi government has the authority to prosecute a complaint. The department has started a drive against auto drivers who turn down passengers.

In case anyone comes across a problem with the auto drivers, Garg says, the offence, time and place and the vehicle number should be SMS to 56767 or call at 258844444 to register the complaint. As soon as the SMS is received, the system, monitored by the public interaction, sends a challan to the owner of the vehicle. The traffic police also receives complains through its Facebook page.

“People have to assess their rights, if they will not complain we will not be able to take action. There is a machinery in place, but people will have to develop the habit of complaining,” he added.