The district administration will shortly launch a new Android mobile application that will help citizens to easily locate autorickshaws in their locality and avail themselves of their services.
The application named ‘Hey Auto’ is now ready for download on the Google Play store, but will be operational only after its official launch during the district-level Onam celebrations.
The mobile application is designed in such a way as to provide quick access to the contact number of nearby autorickshaws in the city. District Collector N. Prasanth said the application would be launched with the cooperation of various drivers’ unions and it would streamline the entire system.
After downloading the application, the drivers have to enrol their name and contact numbers. They can turn it on or off to accept or reject the service. For users, a facility will be provided on the application to rate the service and select the best drivers in the city.
On August 18, a meeting of all autorickshaw drivers will be held at the Police Club to explain the features of the new application and request their cooperation for the successful implementation of the scheme.
Registration of drivers interested in the scheme too will be done on the same day.
Mr. Prasanth, who held a discussion with the officials and Android application designers’ team at the Collectorate here on Friday, said the new service would certainly be beneficial for the travellers and the drivers’ community. “The functioning of the application will be round the clock and it would slowly replace the culture of queuing up for a taxi for long hours,” he pointed out.
