Auto drivers face threat for charging metered fare

 

Around 25 auto drivers who charge the metered fare have come together to form ‘Meter Auto Friends Group’. “We face threats from other auto drivers against following the meter fare system. They do not allow us to run by meter fare system and also doesn’t let us park our vehicles in their stands,” said S.Natrajan, who spearheads the Meter Auto Friends Group’. They met the city police commissioner A.K.Viswanathan and sought police protection for plying with auto meters.

 

The group also urged the district administration and the city police to earmark specific places at prominent places like Gandhipuram, Singanallur, Ukkadam, omnibus stand, railway station and airport to park their vehicles. 

 

“Over 25 auto drivers have expressed interest to join our group and ply by the meter system. More number of auto drivers will join us and adhere to meter fare if they get police protection. We are also ready to cooperate for introducing the prepaid autos for the convenience of public,” he said. 

 

Though the government has fixed a fare of Rs 25 for the first 1.8 kilometres and Rs 12 for every additional kilometer, most of the autos plying on the city roads continue to fleece passengers. The Meter Auto Friends Group members claim that they could generate a reasonable income by plying with the meter system. “After dropping a passenger, our autos wait at the same spot until a passenger alights and we never return empty, unlike other autos,” he said.

 

They enrol only auto drivers, who comply with the government fixed meter fare and other norms like wearing badges. The Meter Auto Friends Group have planned to publicise their initiative by distributing pamphlets among the public and affix their group name at a visible place in their autos.