Mysore/Mysuru: Following persistent demands from Autorickshaw Unions who had sought an immediate hike in fares due to spiralling fuel price and increasing operating expenses, the District Administration has given nod for a hike in auto fares, which has come into effect from today (Feb. 1) in the city and across the district.
The decision to hike auto fares was taken at a meeting chaired by DC Dr. Bagadi Gautham, who also heads the Regional Transport Authority, at his office here this morning.
According to the revised fares, the minimum fare (for the first two kms) with three passengers on board, would be Rs. 30 and Rs. 15 per km for subsequent distance.
There will be no waiting time for the first five minutes and waiting time will be subsequently charged at Rs. 5 for every 15 minutes. Also, there is no luggage charges for up to 20 kgs and luggage will be charged at Rs. 5 per 20 kg after that. However, passengers can carry a maximum luggage of 50 kg in an auto. As regards the fare during late night, the charges will be one and half the normal fare from 10 pm till 5 am.
Hitherto, the minimum fare was Rs. 25 and the subsequent fare was Rs. 13 per km.
Additional SP R. Shivakumar, RTO Bhimananda Patil, ARTO Hemavathi, office-bearers of Mysuru Autorickshaw Services Trust and other Auto associations attended the meeting.
It appears that petrol, diesel and CNG gas prices escalation was the logic for this hike.
So the authorities have taken this measure with an intent to do justice to auto drivers.
However, will the responsible authorities transparently do justice to the consumers/customers by addressing these issues :
1. How will they implement and ensure that all autos have calibrated, sealed and working meters? What action will they take if autos violate this?
2. How will they ensure that autos will take the passengers based on the meter rate? What action will they take if autos violate this?
3. By which date will the autos directed to get their meters calibrated, sealed and working>? What action will they take if autos violate this?
4. Can they instruct all autos to migrate to the digital meters which display rate, kms, waiting time and the digital display is easy to read even during night times. Current mechanical meters are worn out, highly tampered and not properly readable during night times. If the authorities dont want to implement this, can they explain why?
5. Did the authorities also consult the passengers, customer or public representatives and understand the current, prevailing, malpractices, unimplemented issues before taking this step of hiking the rates ? If not, why?
Awaiting that the authorities will do justice to the public, in a transparent and timely way by addressing point by point of the above issues.
Looking forward to the answers.
At last some common sense questions! But in India stakeholders are the last ones that have a voice! If you consult with everybody then nothoing gets done because one section is for and the other sections are against any proposal!
Just look at the comments in any news item in any news paper . Most of the comments are posted by the mentally retarded folks who do not or never had a job either giving stupid advise or spewing hate agaisnt anything and everything! The only thing you can conclude for these comemnts is, there are a lot on mental problems with these folks that need urgent attenstion but public is not addressing it