GPS auto meters likely by year-end

Nearly two years after announcing the fixing of GPS meters in autorickshaws, ELCOT will finally call for tenders in the coming weeks to procure the equipment.

Officials from ELCOT said that the first batch of equipment may be available by the end of this year or early next year. “The government has sought features such as panic button and fare printers. After the tender process is over, the company will be shortlisted. It will take at least seven months for us to get the first batch,” said an ELCOT official.

In August 2013, the government announced that all autorickshaws plying in Chennai will be fixed with electronic digital fare meters combined with printer and Global Positioning System (GPS) for the purpose of tracking the vehicles.

The equipment will be provided free of cost to the autorickshaws and the government will bear the cost of nearly Rs. 80 crore. The procurement was supposed to be completed by February last year. “The process was delayed due to some technical issues as the equipment needed to have all the components,” said a transport official.

However, the officials said that there was not much progress in setting up the control room. “Ideally, those who provide the meters should also be in charge of setting up the control room,” said the official.

M.S. Rajendran, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Autorickshaw Drivers Federation (affiliated to CITU), welcomed the move. “The driver and passenger will not have to haggle over the fares. All the drivers will be forced to ply by the meter,” he said.

K. Dhanalakshmi, who travels by autorickshaws frequently, said the new meters will be beneficial for women. “The passenger and vehicle movement can be tracked. The government should not delay it further,” she added.