Pre-paid auto stands under scanner

Pre-paid auto stands under scanner
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday directed the City Police to look into allegations of police-autorickshaw drivers nexus at the pre-paid counters at the City Railway Station.

BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra, who had complained against the alleged nexus met the CM on Thursday. “The CM directed the police to look into the issue,” he told this website’s newspaper.

The MLA alleged that the police were involved in operating the computers at the counters while it was supposed to be the job of private contractors.

On Wednesday morning, autorickshaw drivers had resorted to a snap strike after the MLA protested against the alleged police-autorickshaw driver nexus and said that they were collecting excess fare from passengers.

While that was the situation at the City Railway station, passengers who land at the cantonment station between 9 pm and 10 pm go through a tough time trying to get an autorickshaw.

The police, however, blame the autorickshaw drivers for not placing their vehicles in the queue at the counters between 9 p m and 10 p m. According to them, one-and-half price is charged only between 10 pm and 5 am and the same fare list is fed in the software developed by RTA.

They said that every day, many trains including Lalbagh Express, Shatabdi, Inter-city, Kurla Express and many other special trains arrive between 9 p m and 10 p m. But the autodrivers are not ready to place their vehicles during this time because they can charge more outside the queue.