Get out of any railway station in the city and you're greeted by a posse of autorickshaw drivers, all demanding much more than the actual fare. Haggling gets you nowhere because the drivers have decided among themselves the rates to offer.
"If you arrive early in the morning, sometimes drivers demand as much as Rs. 250 for a distance of 5 km. The other option is to wait in a long queue for prepaid autos. Thank God, I can now book a cab on my phone and do not have to argue with autorickshaw drivers first thing in the morning," says Priya Shankaran, an IT professional. But this is not an option for everyone, particularly for the aged or people who are new to the city, she adds.
Another grouse is autorickshaw drivers demanding excess fare from people stepping out of malls and shopping hubs like Shivajinagar and M.G. Road. "Every day, I try to catch an autorickshaw in front of Garuda mall to take me to my workplace. I get turned down by at least six drivers. If I'm lucky, the seventh might agree to go but at a cost that is far more than the actual fare," says Susan Dileep, a media professional.
Attempts to convince the autorickshaw driver to go by the meter can end in an argument. "One driver charged me Rs. 20 more than the fare. When I refused to pay, he started shouting at me," recalls Jayashree D., who works with a recruitment agency. "We are all victims here. The situation will not change unless rules are strictly enforced," she added.
However, not all feel that autorickshaw drivers are unjustified. "When aggregators charge surge pricing for peak hours and during heavy traffic jams, commuters pay up, but pick a fight with an autorickshaw driver who may ask ad additional Rs. 20," says Prateek Mittal, a resident of Indiranagar. "It is a means of livelihood for them after all," he adds.
Not all autorickshaw drivers are out to fleece customers. Ahmed Pasha says, "I never charge more than the fare. I won't get anything from such earnings. The person who is paying has also worked hard for his or her livelihood. Who am I to steal from him?"
Aggregator cabs overcharge
It is not just autorickshaws. Even cabs runs by aggregators charge higher fares during peak hours, more so if it rains. “I paid Rs. 470 for travelling from Shivajinagar to Marathahalli, a distance which I covered the subsequent morning in a share cab for Rs. 130,” said Lijo Jose, who was in the city on deputation.
In January, the Transport Department announced that the fare for cabs could not go above Rs. 19.5/km. While cab aggregators have given an undertaken that this would be followed, it is not always the case. A surcharge for time and distance are added outside of surge pricing, as happened with Mr. Jose.
This was not his only bad experience travelling in the city. On one occasion when he booked a cab, he was surprised to find that not only was the ride started before he could locate the cab, he was charged for a 5 km ride. "I tried to call the driver but his phone was not reachable. Later, I got a message that the ride was over and I had been charged Rs. 80," he said.
Possible solutions: Rope in home guards, traffic wardens
Many commuters feel that regular checks would help keep errant autorickshaw drivers in line. DCP Traffic East Abhishek Goyal said that they conduct drives regularly at major railway stations and bus stands.
"We book drivers for demanding excess fare or refusing to ply, and may seize the vehicle if they lack proper documents," said Mr. Goyal. In case of repeat offenders, licences may be cancelled.
“However, in a huge city like Bengaluru, traffic police are involved in other duties, like managing traffic. We do not have the manpower to conduct intensive drives,” he added.
Another solution is to rope in home guards and traffic wardens to keep a check on errant drivers. But, according to the police, there is a shortage of home guards and not enough citizens have volunteered to work as traffic wardens.
"Another 1,000 policemen are in training to join the traffic police, and once they join in December, we will be able to intensify drives," said Mr. Goyal.
EXPERT SPEAK
“The city has over 450 traffic wardens. They do not have the power to impose penalties, but they can note down the number of the autorickshaw and pass it on to the traffic police. This can help to some extent in bringing errant drivers to book,” says M.T. Naik, head, Traffic Warden Organisation.
PEOPLE SPEAK
“Many autos tend to overcharge. Passengers should be more proactive and lodge complaints. Why not create a centralised auto booking and online payment system?” says Sudheer P., software engineer.
“I don't know about the whole of Karnataka, but living in Bengaluru for more than three months, one thing I can definitely tell is that it is the worst place to travel by autorickshaws. Minimum fare system is something I have never seen here and going by meter is a rare sight indeed,” says Kristy John.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The auto fares are sky rocketing. And the traffic scene is never improving.
@ADMIRE_URSELF
Auto drivers never run on meter. They demand big amount to travel even to short distances
@1985LUCKYGAL
Getting an auto by meter is next to impossible. Autowallahs must be fined strictly for not following norms. Due to traffic issues, autos charge high fare rather than going by meter
@POOJA__G
The auto rickshaws charge too much in Munnekolala area, minimum amount would be 80 rupees for just 1 km
@RICHACHHAWCHHAR
