The revised autorickshaw fares kicked in from Tuesday, with the minimum fare hiked from Rs 11.65 to Rs 17. Transport officials have asked commuters to refer to the new rate chart at the time of paying autorickshaw drivers and also advised them against using autos plying without meters.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) has asked autorickshaw drivers to get their electronic meters calibrated as per revised fares over the next 45 days. Officials have asked drivers to carry revised fare charts and not to ply their vehicles when their meters are sent for calibration, a two to three-day process.
Autorickshaw drivers will not be able to ply vehicles without meters. Drivers can resume service after the meters are calibrated and sealed by the RTO officials. They are appealing to commuters to avoid travelling in an autorickshaw without a meter. They also appeal to commuters to pay the fare as per the chart given to drivers.
As per the new fare structure, commuters in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have to pay Rs 17 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 11.65 for every subsequent km. For commuters who wish to stay alert, devices including smart phones that have various apps to figure out the distance travelled can come in handy.
It is for the first time after their installation that electronic meters will be calibrated. They are expecting the process to be completed in two to three days after the driver submits the meter to the manufacturer. Around 45,000 autorickshaws will have to go for calibration. They expect 1,000 meters to be calibrated per day.
The RTO has held meetings with manufacturers. They asked manufacturers and agencies authorized to do the required repairs to complete the calibration of meters within the stipulated time frame. There are about six manufacturers and 40 repairing agencies in the city. They have also taken steps to appoint additional agencies for the process.
They said the RTO has distributed fare charts among autorickshaw unions and citizens. Drivers who do not complete the process of calibration within 45 days will be penalized and their licences suspended.
Autorickshaw unions, however said, they would lose out earnings of three days during the calibration process. The unions also said the RTO should extend the 45-day deadline for calibration. Rickshaw Panchayat said, it will be difficult to complete calibration in 45 days. The deadline should be extended to 60 days. Besides, RTO should also ask manufacturers and repairing agencies to open more counters to assist drivers.
Pune City Autorickshaw Federation said, the service charges for calibration are not uniform, varying between Rs 450 and Rs 600. The RTO should ensure that charges don’t go beyond Rs 450. They also said that there was a need to appoint additional inspectors at RTO’s Alandi road office to test meters that have been calibrated, as the current strength of inspectors was not sufficient.
