‘Auto drivers a law unto themselves’

‘Auto drivers a law unto themselves’

Deccan Herald

The State Government is considering framing of additional rules to regulate auto-rickshaws in Bangalore and the rest of the State, Transport Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge told the Council on Wednesday.

Responding to a question from K C Kondaiah, Mr Kharge said, “we are thinking of amending legislation or rules that mandate that new autos will be registered only if they are affixed with digital fare meters. We may rope in rickshaw manufacturers in this, asking them to fix digital meters before sending vehicles to the market.”
He admitted that autorickshaw-drivers had become a law unto themselves, as they demanded rates beyond the true fare.

JD(U)’s M P Nadagouda contended that passengers these days have to go where autos take them. BJP’s M R Tanga observed that auto-drivers were wont to harass the public.

Mr Kharge said that, while the number of taxis in Bangalore was minuscule compared to Mumbai, the government was contemplating dedicated taxi services to connect major areas — such as airport to Vidhana Soudha and railway station to MG Road.