Pre-paid auto comes to MG Road

Pre-paid auto comes to MG Road
Opened At Commercial St,Airport Too; More Areas To Be Covered Soon
The Times of India

Bangalore: Good news for Bangloreans regularly harassed by autorickshaw drivers who either demand excess fare or refuse to go on hire. Pre-paid auto centres will come up all over the city.

Police commissioner Ajai Kumar Singh inaugurated the M G Road, Commercial Street and Airport Road pre-paid auto system on Wednesday. He said it will not be restricted to these areas alone, but will be extended to other areas soon.

Inaugurating the pre-paid auto counter on M G Road, he said the new system will eliminate friction between the public and auto drivers. It will also bring down crimes involving auto drivers.

One should cultivate the habit of hiring an auto from the pre-paid counter, if it is available in the vicinity, instead of approaching auto drivers on the road, DCP, Traffic (East) M A Saleem said. He hoped corporates would donate booths to run the pre-paid counters. Initially, policemen will man these counters; later, the work will be outsourced, he said.

The existing counters near the railway station, which are run by autorickshaw unions, collect of Re 1 from customers. But policemenrun counters will not collect any service charge, Saleem said.

Auto drivers complained to the commissioner that the pre-paid fare drawn up by the police, in consultation with the RTO department, was less than the actual meter charge. The commissioner assured them that he would have a re-look at the the fare list.

Pre-paid auto counters

EXISTING
1 City Rail Station 2 Cantt Rail Station 3 KSRTC Bus Stand, Majestic 4 M G Road (Shringar Complex) 5 Commercial St (near Dickenson road junction) 6 Airport (near arrival lounge)

PROPOSED
1 Yeshwanthapur Railway Station 2 Malleswaram 8th Cross 3 Forum Mall (both entrances) 4 MG Road (Opposite Cauvery Handicrafts & Emporium, on the other side of the road)

How to use
Go to the counter, approach the policeman manning it and specify the area you want to go to.
The policeman goes through the list and specifies the slab (fare) your destination falls into.
The policeman summons the autorickshaw waiting near the counter.
The policeman issues a slip containing the auto registration number and the fare to be paid by the passenger.
The exact fare amount may vary, 10 per cent plus or minus, from the amount mentioned in the slip.
Reach your destination and pay the fare to the driver.
If any dispute arises, both the driver and passenger can approach the police for redressal.