Ghaziabad, Sept. 23 -- The Ghaziabad police have initiated a month-long drive to allocate QR codes and unique numbers to about 23,000 e-rickshaws and about 12,000 registered autos to regulate their movement and also ensure passengers' safety, traffic officials said on Monday. The operation of these e-rickshaws and autos has been classified into five zones -- the City, Sahibabad, Trans-Hindon, Loni, and Modinagar zones -- that will enable the vehicles to operate under their respective zones, they added. "Under the new initiative, all e-rickshaws and autos will be provided with a QR code and a unique number for their easy identification. We have engaged a vendor for the purpose. The idea is to regulate these vehicles, which often pose security risks for passengers, including women, and also to streamline their operations in designated zones," said additional deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Sacchidanand. Officials said each unique number and QR code will be coloured red, green, blue, yellow, and orange for the five zones. "We have already compiled the data of the vehicle, its owner/driver, and other details, and these are grouped under the QR code/unique number. In any instance of crime, such numbers will be able to help us locate the erring vehicle. The passengers can also scan the QR code to get details. Such numbered vehicles will also be easy to trace through CCTVs installed across the city. Once the numbering is complete, we will also be able to filter out unauthorised autos and e-rickshaws operating in the city from nearby districts," the additional DCP added. He said the present drive is expected to complete in a month, and they are trying to get the funds either from the state government or through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. Meanwhile, auto association members said that such drives have been taken up several times in the past. "There have been numbering drives taken up in past years, and autos were allocated numbers. Earlier, the police hired people to get the numbers painted and each time, the drivers or the vehicle owners had to pay up. So, such drives do not prove to be successful, and hence launched again," said Ghaziabad Auto Rickshaw Chalak Sangh president Dilshad Ahmed. The numbering drives were earlier initiated in February, 2020 and before that in February, 2016....