In Bihar, the road widening project is progressing rapidly, but it's come with an unintended consequence: an uptick in collisions between autos and larger vehicles. To address this concerning trend, the Transport Department is taking proactive measures to designate specific routes for autos, aiming to mitigate accidents. Following the Lok Sabha elections, the department plans to convene meetings with representatives from all districts to establish these routes, encompassing urban and rural areas alike. A preliminary meeting on this matter was convened on Monday.

Currently, autos operate freely on all roads in the capital city of Patna. While the department has coded police station areas to regulate auto operation based on permits, many drivers continue to flout these regulations, plying their vehicles on unauthorized routes without consequence. This disregard for rules extends to highways as well, where overloaded autos often speed recklessly, posing significant risks to passengers and other motorists.

In response to mounting complaints and safety concerns, the Transport Department has initiated steps to delineate authorized auto routes. District authorities have been instructed to compile reports outlining proposed routes, which will undergo review post-elections before implementation in phases. Initially, the focus will be on establishing designated routes within Patna, with plans to extend this framework to other cities' road networks in subsequent phases.