The heavy rain on Monday may have brought relief to the water-starved city. However, several commuters were stranded owing to poor availability of App-based cabs and high fare for those that were available.
The rain has been lashing the city from Sunday night and water-logging was reported in different parts of the city. Every time there is a downpour, most of the drivers attached to App-based taxi operators stay off the roads.
“On Monday morning, I went to my office on Anna Salai on a bike. In the evening I tried booking a cab to return home as it was raining heavily. I managed to get one about 20 minutes after booking. However, instead of the regular fare of ₹150 I paid ₹350,” said M. Midhun, a resident of Anna Nagar.
Many others complained about poor availability of cabs. “Usually we get cabs within 10 minutes of booking. But, during the rains it takes more than 20 minutes. Besides, the fare is also hiked.,” complained S. Rajamani, a resident of Nungambakkam who tried booking a cab to Mylapore.
S. Suresh, a driver attached to one of the taxi service providers, said, “Driving on water-logged roads is very risky, especially because water would enter the silencer and the car will stop in the middle of the road.”
Ramalingam K., another driver, said, “The vehicle gets damaged while running over them. Besides, during heavy rain, visibility is poor. And, when there is a fare increase, the commuters fight with us thinking it is our fault,” he said.
Autorickshaw drivers had a field day with commuters. As people waited for a long time for cabs, autorickshaw drivers offered them rides at exorbitant fare. “An auto driver charged me ₹500 to travel from the Egmore station to my office in Chetpet,” complained K. Yamini, who works in a private company.
