Electronic auto meters, a mixed blessing

Electronic auto meters, a mixed blessing
VIJAY TIMES NEWS

Bangalore: Electronic fare meters in autorickshaws have come as a welcome change for commuters by providing the exact details of distance travelled and fare to be paid. But alongside, the manner in which they are calibrated has raised legal concerns and can also be exploited by unscrupulous auto drivers.

The prevailing norm is for auto drivers to charge one and a half times the fare displayed between 10 pm and 5 am, a system which works perfectly well with mechanical meters.

H o wever , electronic meters are calibrated to change automatically to one a half times the fare as soon as the internal clock marks 10 pm and to revert to the actual fare at 5 am. According to the legal metrology (weights and measures) department, this type of automatic change is not allo wed.

Speaking to Vijay Times, G Ramachandra, Controller of Legal M etrology , said, "A utomatic change of far es in autorickshaw meters is not appro ved legally . I will take up this matter with the transport department." However , autorickshaw union leader Somashekar said because of this facility in electronic meters, disputes between commuters and drivers regar ding the fare have come do wn considerably . On the legal aspect, he claimed that the system has been appro ved throughout the country .

More pertinently , transport department secretary Shafi Ahmed pointed out, "W e have noticed that some auto drivers collect one and a half times the fare though it (the electronic meter) has automatically changed to the higher tariff. W e are going to discuss this, including the possiblity of an increase in auto fares, at a meeting next week."