Chennai: Autos, cabs fleece public under fuel price garb

Chennai: Office-goers and other commuters in the city, who opted to use various other means of transport after the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) hiked its fares last January, have now been forced to reverse their decisions, as prices of petrol and diesel have started burning holes in their pockets.

Sources said that autos and other means of transport like call taxi services, have started fleecing passengers under the guise of hike in price of fuel.

“I would sometime take an auto to my destination, but I was shocked recently, when a known auto driver insisted me to pay extra charges than what I used to pay a couple of weeks back,” said T. Guru, a commuter between CMBT to Jai Nagar in Arumbakkam.

When he argued with the driver about his sudden demand, the driver had asked him if he knew about the skyrocketing prices of fuel.

Meanwhile, auto drivers' associations justify the increasing fare. “Why should have the transport department already raised its fare. It is all because the officials were well aware that fuel prices would increase in future. But, we were not aware of it. In such a condition, we just demand ' 10 to 20 more from passengers against the previous fare,” said a member of the Tamil Nadu Call Taxi and Auto Association.

Share autos have also started collecting extra fares. “Days are gone, when share autos collected ' 3 to ' 5. Now, we can’t get into a share auto without having ' 10 to 20 in hand,” laments R .Madhan, a painter, Ambattur.

Even autos associated with cab services like OLA have opted out, considering the high fuel price. “I have no options, but to dissociate from the cab services. The government, which promised to fix electronic metres, has miserably failed to fulfill its promise. The government should also realise that the livelihood of auto drivers is largely affected,” said K. Muthu, an auto driver at the Central railway station.

Contacted by Deccan Chronicle, a transport (RTO) official said that they were closely monitoring the fares collected by various transport modes like autos to omni buses. “Public can file complaints at any RTOs or with transport officials along with details of the exorbitant fares collected,” said the official.