Pre-paid autorickshaw rides on the cards from 4 points
Joy Sengupta| TNN | Apr 20, 2018, 07:39 IST
Sources in the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) and office holders in autorickshaw associations said the new system will allow people check the estimated distances and fares to any destination before deciding whether to travel or not.
Pune City Autorickshaw Association president Baba Shinde said the approval to start the service on a trial basis for a month came following three-four rounds of meetings between the threewheeler unions and the traffic police.
“The system will start from four points — Sangamwadi (at Sangam bridge near the private bus stop), Swargate, Pune station and Shivajinagar. The counters at Swargate, Pune station and Shivajinagar are almost ready. The facility at Sangamwadi will be ready within a few days. We have given our go-ahead. A final meeting is scheduled with the RTO and the police,” Shinde told TOI When contacted, deputy regional transport officer Sanjay Raut said they will soon announce the system. “We cannot make any comment at this moment. We will announce the system at the right time,” he said.
Sources, however, said RTO will monitoring the entire system.
Shinde said the system will be easy and simple. “It is like a pre-paid autorickshaw service. There are more than 60,000 autorickshaws in Pune. Many people often complain about the autorickshaw drivers’ rude ways and attitude.”
He added, “Complaints about over-charging and refusals are also not uncommon. We are trying to make the system transparent. The counters will have a list of rates for different destinations and passengers will be informed before hiring an autorickshaw.”
Passengers have also welcomed the initiative. “The idea is good. The question is how many autorickshaw drivers will be a part of this system. Most of them are into fleecing passengers. The police and the RTO should have control over the system,” said Sagar Sinha, a working professional.
Over 60,000 autorickshaws are zipping through the streets of Pune now following registration of new three-wheelers after the freeze on issuing permits was lifted last year. The number of autorickshaws here is, however, almost half when compared to that of Mumbai. The state capital has around 1.39 lakh registered autorickshaws at present.
Citizens continue to depend on personal vehicles, cabs and autorickshaws with the public sector buses failing to cater to their needs and the multi-crore Metro project being nowhere near the commissioning stage.
Source : Times Of India
