If you hop onto an autorickshaw in the city and travel four kilometres, you are bound to end up poorer by Rs. 100. But the actual fare would be only half of what you paid.
Of late, enforcement of the meter system in Chennai has lost heat, and there is no news on the GPS-fitted meters announced by the government. Due to this, passengers are being fleeced across the city, especially in the suburbs.
There are over 70,000 autorickshaws in the city. After the State government revised the fares in August last year and made meters compulsory, the transport department and traffic police started cracking down on those vehicles found flouting the norms.
The transport department set up helplines (044-26744445 and 24749001) to receive complaints about errant autorickshaw drivers, and created squads to conduct surprise checks. The police also set up assistance booths and attempted to regulate the autorickshaws. Over 3,000 vehicles were seized in the city and its suburbs, and later released.
Autorickshaw drivers, however, say that they are forced to charge more as share autorickshaws and call taxis are eating into their revenue.
“There are only around 150 authorised share autorickshaws plying the city. The government is not regulating those that are plying illegally,” said J. Seshasayanam, secretary of AITUC-affiliated Madras Metro Auto Drivers’ Association.
Call taxis, too, were plying at rates similar to those for autorickshaws, he said, adding, “The government should increase the fare to a minimum of Rs. 30 for autorickshaws and Rs. 15 for every additional kilometre. Fuel prices are fluctuating and the government is yet to form a committee, as promised earlier, to change the fares accordingly.”
