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This is an archive article published on October 24, 2013

Autos take commuters for a ride

Calibration of meters in slow lane,fares charged arbitrary

For commuters in Pune,who have to endure a nightmare on city roads daily,the recent decision of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to hike autorickshaw fares and go for calibration of meters has translated into auto drivers getting another reason to fleece them. In the absence of calibrated meters and tariff cards,the drivers have started charging what passengers call arbitrary fares.

Software professional Robin Singh was in for a shock when he boarded an autorickshaw from Bund Garden bridge to travel to his home in Koregaon Park. The distance from the auto stand to my house is around 2 km and normally auto drivers charge Rs 15. However on Tuesday,when I got into an auto,the driver refused to ply by fare and demanded Rs 30. He said the RTO had revised the fare and till November 30,rickshaws would not ply by meter, he said.

Like Singh,other passengers especially in far-flung areas like Baner,Bavdhan,Kalyaninagar,Kharadi,Vishrantwadi and Pimpri-Chinchwad are being charged fares at drivers whims and fancies. Also in areas like Kothrud,Deccan and the peths,complaints of drivers refusing to go by meter and demanding arbitrary fares are common.

Refusal to go by meters,according to drivers,is due to the recent fare hike by the RTO and delay in calibration of vehicles.

The fare hike was announced by the District Transport Authority (DTA) on October 6. As per the new hike,the first stage fare was hiked from Rs 11 to Rs 17 for one and half km. This hike was proposed in view of the rise in price of CNG and other parameters used in the Hakim committees recommendation of fare hike. In order to offset the fare hike,the DTA had proposed reduction of night fare. The main reason for the fare hike was to ensure drivers do not refuse short-distance commuters.

Following the hike,it was decided that the electronic meters being used would be recalibrated. This was done to make the meters in line with the present hike and a deadline of 45 days,ending on November 30,was set.

In the intervening time,it was announced that auto drivers would carry tariff cards and charge customers accordingly. However,while both the RTO and auto drivers are busy finding faults in the way calibration is being implemented,hapless commuters have to shell out more money to travel.

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Nitin Pawar,convenor of the Rickshaw Panchayat,blamed the RTO for shoddy implementation of calibration. The RTO has failed to ensure transparency and professionalism in the process. With 50,000 autorickshaws in the city,it is expected that the RTO would start operations early in the morning but the offices dont open till 12 noon. Also,in many cases,authorised agencies for calibration are overcharging drivers,which the RTO refuses to look into, he said.

About the complaints of commuters about overcharging,Pawar blamed the RTO for not making tariff cards available.

As per RTO figures,of the 50,000 autos in the city,around 1,500 have been calibrated till date.

Regional Transport Officer Arun Yeola said the calibration deadline is November 30 and drivers have ample time to complete the process. If commuters are overcharged,they should contact us. We will definitely take action, he said. Yeola also urged people to carry tariff cards while travelling.

Distance Fare

1 17

1.1 17

1.2 17

1.3 17

1.4 17

1.5 17

1.6 18

1.7 19

1.8 21

1.9 22

2 23

2.1 24

2.2 25

2.3 26

2.4 27

2.5 29

2.6 30

2.7 31

2.8 32

2.9 33

3 34

3.1 36

Distance Fare

3.2 37

3.3 38

3.4 39

3.5 40

3.6 41

3.7 43

3.8 44

3.9 45

4 46

4.1 47

4.2 48

4.3 50

4.4 52

4.5 52

4.6 53

4.7 54

4.8 55

4.9 57

5 58

7 81

10 116

15 174

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