Nearly 1.5 lakh autorickshaws are registered with Pune RTO
Pune: Barely 4% of the city’s autorickshaws have calibrated their meters to the revised fare structure that came into effect on Sept 1, leaving commuters facing confusion and a growing number of overcharging complaints emerging. Of the nearly 1.46 lakh autorickshaws registered with Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO), only around 6,000 have completed the mandatory calibration so far, officials told TOI . I normally pay Rs120-130. Nitin Pawar, general secretary of Rickshaw Panchayat Union, said unions had received the fare cards but distributing them to nearly 1.5 lakh drivers was difficult.
“Authorities have announced that drivers should carry fare cards, but have they checked how many do? You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
asking them to ensure that drivers carry and display them, commuters said the measure had made little difference on the ground While RTO has also distributed fare charts to autorickshaw unions. Camp resident and daily commuter Ashok Parmar said he has never been shown a fare chart, despite regularly taking autos to Koregaon Park. When I questioned him, he asked me to find another auto,” said Parmar, who works at a shopping centre. The driver allegedly told him the distance had increased from 12km to 13km and demanded Rs260. Nagarkar said he agreed to pay as he was rushing to work, but the calibrated meter showed Rs230 at the destination. Nagarkar said. I have not seen anyone carrying it,” Singh said. They had said they were prepared, but clearly the rollout has not been smooth,” Pawar said.
RTO has given operators six months to complete the process. “Drivers quote whatever fare they want. Last week, one driver decided that the distance was 8km and demanded Rs240. When it comes to autos operating through aggregators, passengers are encountering discrepancies between app fares and meter readings. The driver then allegedly sought Rs242, the amount shown on the app. “Does RTO even know such things are happening? Kalyaninagar resident Arvind Singh questioned whether RTO was monitoring compliance with its own instructions. “All union heads have been given the rate cards. If drivers or groups approach us, we provide them. We had asked RTO to increase the number of calibration centres last week. Download the TOI App.
Working professional Abhijeet Nagarkar, who booked an auto through the Bharat Taxi app from NIBM Road to FC Road on Monday, said the app initially showed a fare of Rs242.
Pune deputy regional transport officer Swapnil Bhosle said 500-600 auto drivers were getting their meters calibrated every day and the pace was expected to increase with the opening of two more centres in Shivajinagar and Ramtekdi from Tuesday. “Each day, around 500-600 autorickshaw drivers finish the process. The revised fare is Rs30 for the first 1.5km and Rs20 for every additional km.
The activity is expected to gain pace, with two more centres becoming operational,” Bhosle said. This will take the total number of calibration centres in the city to four. They have been given six months to complete it. Additional charges apply for late-night travel and for carrying luggage above the prescribed size.