Fleeced by auto drivers? This app lets you calculate fare

“The app is nearly ready. We are working with some private companies on it,” ACP (Traffic) Anil Shukla said.

Passengers, especially tourists or those new in the city, often complain about auto-rickshaw drivers taking longer routes to charge more money.

The app is designed to end such harassment of passengers by auto-rickshaw drivers, a traffic police officer said.

“It will be handy for a tourist visiting Delhi for the first time. Using the app, he or she can not only access the map of Delhi, but can also calculate fares by typing in the destination. The app can be downloaded free of cost on all phones,” the officer said.

That’s not all. The app will also allow passengers to upload complaints related to traffic violation or harassment.

“If an auto-rickshaw driver refuses to ferry a passenger or charges more than what the app’s fare calculator shows, then the passenger can click a picture of the auto-rickshaw and upload it on police’s website via the app, mentioning the nature of the complaint. Immediate action will be taken against the errant driver,” the officer said.

Using the app, passengers can also get to know about traffic advisories before starting their journey, such as rallies and protests in the city that day and the roads likely to be blocked. “Apart from this, the app will also give an update on the traffic situation across the capital at regular intervals along with information on breakdowns, diversions and roadblocks, so that passengers can avoid those roads,” the officer said.

Further, if your vehicle gets towed away by the traffic police, you can just type in the vehicle number and the location from where it was towed away, and you will get the name of the police station where it was taken, the police officer said.