For anyone who has taken an autorickshaw in the city, the phrase ‘ meter-ku mela ’ (over and above the meter rate) will be familiar. Despite the fixing of autorickshaw fares last August, most commuters say that very few drivers adhere to them.
“Last week I waited for close to an hour for an autorickshaw whose driver would agree to go by the meter. In the end, I gave up and paid Rs. 20 over the meter reading,” Varsha Venugopal, a regular commuter by autorickshaws, said. People are often forced to pay double the meter reading, especially during the rains, she said.
Speaking on the subject of fare fixing, an official of the transport department said, “The fares were fixed on the basis of the existent rates, petrol prices and the demands of the public and the unions.”
Experts, however, feel that for the fare system to be effective they should be fixed considering the condition of roads, the speed of traffic and other road users.
According to P. Mahalingam, a research scholar for Anna University, in a city like Chennai, time and distance involved in a commute should be factored in, since travelling a distance of two kilometres could take an hour during peak-hour traffic, while at other times it could take only 15 minutes.
“The government should also consider the existing demand for autorickshaws and use that to determine how many permits are needed,” he said. Without these measures, the direct stakeholders — the drivers, passengers and road users — are at a disadvantage, he said, adding that an autorickshaw driver needed to make daily revenue of around Rs. 600 to 800 for his trade to be viable.
Further, the price of petrol was a small factor, he said, adding that the transport department should insist on a trip sheet for every autorickshaw, to gain perspective on the vehicle’s usage and the demand for each auto on the road.
There are some others who feel that autorickshaw drivers can make a decent living at the current rates. Aishwarya Raman of Auto Raja, a call auto service, said, “Our drivers have seen an increase in income, even though they do not charge over the meter.”
