Perambur station a no-haggling zone

Traffic police initiative helps commuters hire an auto at government- fixed rates

CHENNAI, 13/05/2014: For Down Town: Spare part autorickshaw drivers encroaching pavements on Pallavan Salai, Perambur causes hardship for pedestrians. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

The one pain point most travellers to the city complain about is the haggling with auto drivers. While the arrival of on-call taxi cabs that come with pre-fixed rates has eased it to an extent, not every one hails a cab home. Many still prefer autorickshaws, and sometimes, especially during the unearthly hours, they are the only means of transport.

There’s now a modest attempt to set that right. At Perambur Railway Station, travellers alighting from trains no longer have to bargain over the fares with the auto drivers. Instead, commuters only have to mention the destination to the traffic police waiting at the departure gate of the railway station who in turn will arrange for an autorickshaw quickly.

The traffic police have brought in a system where auto drivers at the Perambur Railway Station charge only government-fixed rates and never refuse to take the commuters to their desired destinations.

A. Sundarraj, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said that it was distressing to find helpless commuters frustratingly argue with the auto drivers to reach their homes after travelling long-distance. “So we posted traffic personnel at the railway station to ease the hardship of the commuters in hailing autos and also making the drivers charge only government-fixed rates.”

Launched in July, the system has been running smoothly with the traffic police bringing a professional touch to the operation by maintaining a register to not only keep track of the auto drivers but also to get feedback from the public.

The traffic police usually help the commuters hail autos during the peak hours in hthe morning and evening, and around 50 to 75 commuters benefit daily, he said.

In the past three months, the police have ensured that there are at least a couple of personnel to help the travellers at the station even if most of them were asked to report for security duty somewhere else.

S. Akbar, a resident of Ayanavaram, said the presence of traffic policemen has relieved them from the pain of arguing with the auto drivers.