Hyderabad Police have directed the traffic police to trace an autorickshaw driver allegedly seen watching a movie on one mobile phone, using another for navigation and wearing headphones while driving, and have urged passengers to call the emergency helpline 112 if drivers ignore warnings about such conduct.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar shared a video of the incident on X on Wednesday, October 14, and instructed the Hyderabad Traffic Police to identify the driver of autorickshaw TG15U2657 and initiate stringent legal action in accordance with the law.
The video, which was brought to the commissioner’s notice through social media, showed two mobile phones positioned in front of the driver. One screen displayed navigation directions while the other played a movie. The driver was also seen wearing large illuminated headphones while operating the autorickshaw.
The police commissioner’s response places the incident within a wider road-safety concern: drivers who divide their visual or auditory attention while operating vehicles can put passengers, pedestrians and other road users at risk. The warning applies not only to autorickshaws but also to two-wheelers, cars, buses and lorries.
Mr. Sajjanar asked passengers to remain alert during journeys and to question or warn drivers if they notice them using mobile phones or wearing headphones or earbuds. If drivers do not respond to those requests, passengers should call 112 and inform the police, he said.
The appeal gives passengers a direct reporting role in a transport system where they are often the first people to observe unsafe behaviour inside a vehicle. In an autorickshaw, a driver watching a second screen or using headphones can affect the safety of the occupants even when the journey appears to be proceeding normally. The police message therefore links passenger vigilance with immediate access to emergency response.
The incident also highlights the enforcement challenge created by distracted driving. A social-media video enabled the conduct to be brought to the attention of the police commissioner, who then asked the traffic police to trace the vehicle using its registration number. The next official step is the identification of the driver and action under applicable law.
Hyderabad Police have not disclosed in the supplied statement whether the driver has been traced or what specific sections will be applied. The commissioner’s instruction is for the traffic police to investigate the vehicle and take stringent legal action after identification.
The police advisory asks road users to treat mobile-phone use, headphones and earbuds during driving as a serious safety issue and to report non-compliance through 112 when a driver refuses to stop. The immediate enforcement action remains focused on autorickshaw TG15U2657.
