Going by the meter not a norm with autorickshaws

Citizens say this has been an old problem and they they have been demanding that they ply by the meter in Pune city,but the RTO has failed to enforce it in the last 20 years. The situation is similar in some areas on the outskirts of Pune city,like Vadgaon,Dhayri,Chandni Chowk,Lohegaon.

Activists like Shriram Pandey and others,who have been pressuring government authorities to force drivers to charge per the meter for the past six years,said police and RTO lack the will to implement it.

“If police and RTO make up their mind,they can,within a day,force drivers to charge by the meter. But they are afraid of rickshaw unions. Since the state government has made it mandatory for rickshaws to have electronic meters most rickshaws have installed them but it’s of no use. Drivers charge as they please. We are forced to pay twice or thrice the actual fare,” said Pandey.

According to Pandey,the RTO,on the directives of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA),forced autorickshaw drivers to ply by meter in Pimpri-Chinchwad area for very short durations during special drives. “But everything returns to the old once the drive ends.”

Pandey blamed citizens for not displaying unity. “Rickshaw drivers are united and get away after robbing passengers daily,” he added.

Ramesh Rodge,who works at an event management company,said,“I pay around Rs 150 to go to my office from my residence in Nigdi. The autorickshaw drivers refuse to ply by the meter and fleece us.”

Drivers also charge whopping fares under ‘night charges’. “At times I pay around Rs 200 to travel between Yamuna Nagar and Akurdi station,” said Anil Walia,a businessman,who lives near the station and generally returns home late at night.

Advocate A R Sathyanarayanan,retired income tax officer and founder member of Pradhikaran Pravasi Sangh said,“Rickshaw unions are politically connected. Because of this,the administration has no will to force them to do the right thing.”

Rickshaw drivers claim plying by the meter is not financially feasible in Pimpri-Chinchwad area.

“Part of Pimpri-Chinchwad is still rural and drivers do not get commuters while returning from these parts of the city,” Ramesh Unecha,PCMC Rickshaw

Panchayat said adding that the system can only be implemented in thickly populated areas like Pune city.

Contesting this,Sathyanarayanan said the situation was like that seven-eight years ago,but not anymore. “In areas like Pradhikaran,Pimpri station,Nigdi bus-stand and many others rickshaws get commuters every five minutes. But the whole problem is they want to work less and earn more,” said Sathyanarayanan.