Pune: For Sahakarnagar resident Pranav Unde (39), finding an autorickshaw to get home — wherever he hails it from — has become too arduous. Each pick-up location comes with unique and ever-evolving obstacles, Unde said, adding, “From Swargate, many auto drivers refuse to go by meter and demand higher fare. From Kothrud, trip refusals are most common. From Pune railway station, I am told to pay three times the meter rate. Is this fair to a commuter? Multiple complaints to Regional Transport Office (RTO) have gone unheard. Why would anyone opt to use public transport in Pune?”Unde’s experience mirrors that of thousands of other auto users across Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Demands for higher fares, rude driver behaviour, ride refusals and frequent arguments on charging by meter or aggregator app have become routine. Ride refusals top the list of complaints. Bopodi resident Leena R (60) said, “I booked an auto via an app to go to Kothrud last week. Once a driver was assigned, he called to ask about the destination and payment by meter. Despite my agreement, he suddenly cancelled the ride. Shockingly, this happened two more times. I was frustrated by the delay and walked to an auto stand 500m away. Drivers there also refused to comply unless I paid Rs500 for the trip. Apps indicated fares ranging from Rs180-200, which is the approximate meter rate, too. I ended up cancelling my plan.” WHAT AUTO DRIVERS SAY Auto drivers TOI spoke to said inflation has made running a household tougher, while the CNG price rise has impacted work expenses. “When someone books from an app, the pick-up and drop could be metres away from each other. So, we take the higher available fare to cover up extra CNG cost. The number of autos in the city has increased sharply and demand does not match it. I did over 10 rides a day till about six months ago, which has now dropped to five or six. Traffic congestion worsens the situation,” said a driver from Kothrud, refusing to be named. Another driver claimed that despite telling passengers he will charge by meter, many initially agree and pick fights later. “Apps give discounts on fares, which is a big problem. Even after telling passengers we will go by meter, they want discounted app fare. We have been told by unions to go by meter and follow that. App discounts are not affordable,” said the NIBM Road resident. RIDE BY METER: UNIONS Baghtoy Rickshawala auto union president Keshav Kshirsagar said whether it is a short- or long-distance trip, auto drivers should ply only by meter. The union has around 31,000 members across Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. “Commuters should refuse to pay by any other structure. Fare shown on apps is suggested. Govt has set up the meter system and it is the one to follow. Apps offer discounts on fares just to attract customers. Those prices are not feasible for drivers. The option of ‘tipping’ on apps is also illegal. We have complained about apps multiple times to RTO, but they are yet to take any stringent action,” he said. Unions said they have sent multiple complaints to the collector and other authorities, and also protested. “If officials act, problems will be resolved. Commuters should also complain to RTO each time they are inconvenienced, so action is taken,” Kshirsagar added. Rickshaw Panchayat president Nitin Pawar said everyone should reduce app dependence and walk to rickshaw stands. He claimed, “If commuters start doing this, fare issues will get resolved. During surge pricing and discounts, fares on apps are ridiculous. We have been complaining for a long time, but in vain. Officials have failed to take action. Also, auto drivers not going by meter or flouting norms should be reprimanded for things to change.” ON THE OFFICIAL SIDE In Feb this year, auto and cab drivers on apps held a statewide protest against ‘arbitrary’ fare policies, among other issues. In March, state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik suspended the open permit system for autos. A meeting of unions, RTO officials and aggregator apps was supposed to be held on July 23, but has been delayed repeatedly. Pune regional transport officer Archana Gaikwad, when asked about auto fare issues, said the rules are clear and should be followed by all. “We have said that once a ride is booked via an app, it is between the rickshaw driver and passenger to find a consensus on fare. They must go by whatever has been decided between them. We also have a WhatsApp number on which commuters can send in complaints,” she said. ‘TRANSPARENCY NEEDED’ TOI also spoke to former deputy regional transport officer Sanjay Sasane, who is currently principal at the Institute of Driving Training and Research, Pune. Asked why autos are considered ‘public transport’ despite all the existing issues, he explained, “Autorickshaws are contract carriage hires and, as such, fulfil the requirements of being a public transport service. Whether you hire a share auto or a separate one just for yourself, it is used as a service to transport a person from one destination to another, and then the next individual, and so on. Therefore, it is considered to be a service for the public at large.” “With reference to fare issues, govt has declared fixed rates, but these are yet to be accepted by aggregators. Ideally, if a passenger is using the app, they should be allowed to pay the fare on the app. Companies could also add a fixed filter allowing users to decide whether they want to pay by meter, app or either, so there are no last-minute quarrels among passengers and drivers. Transparency at the booking stage itself might help reduce everyone’s issues,” he added. USER EXPERIENCES ‘Paying extra only way to get a ride’I travel by Metro a lot and so, often hail a rickshaw from Vanaz Corner to Bavdhan and back. It’s a big task. Drivers often refuse rides unless one pays higher than both the app and meter rate. Plus, they always want a tip. In the evening, even when a lot of autos are simply waiting outside the Metro station, they still don’t accept rides. There is no way to complain about this on any aggregator app. It costs about Rs80-90 from the station to my destination, but the running rate is Rs130-140. When it rains, fleecing gets worse — Kushal Patil | IT professional ‘Prefer cabs over autos, less hassle’ I had to travel from airport to Parvati when the Palkhi procession was passing through the city. All auto drivers told me that the roads were shut, and they wouldn’t take the ride unless I paid Rs1,200-1,300. This is daylight robbery. I travel this route often and it does not take more than Rs450-475. Eventually, someone agreed to come for Rs500, later I realised that no roads were even closed on the route. Now, I prefer cabs over autos despite the expense. Rickshaws have just become too inconvenient — Avinash Naik | Mechanical engineer ‘Forced to pay higher rate between app, meter’ In Chinchwad, auto drivers refuse rides unless you pay Rs25 for every km, although that is the base rate (first 1.5 km), and it is lower for every subsequent km. If I wish to go to Camp or some PMC area, the destination is more than 15km and drivers want Rs100 extra on the fare. App charges are a little less for longer distances compared to the meter; it is the opposite for shorter rides. So, the driver chooses which fare to charge based on what is higher. Just the other day, an auto driver told me that he would be charging me the higher fare after reaching the location, which is wrong — Vaishali Dalvi | Social worker ‘Slew of refusals while booking autos on app’ Booking an auto from any aggregator app is very difficult in Sopanbaug. When they do accept the ride, they demand extra fare. None of them is willing to go as per meter charges. The other day, an auto driver’s meter was not working, so he just charged some random amount as per his will. Another issue is auto drivers who refuse UPI payment and insist on cash but rarely carry change. So, while rounding off the fare, we end up paying more than both the meter and app specify. Finally, we have landed up buying an EV car of our own as a more affordable option — Darshana Bhandari | Entrepreneur ‘Dealing with rude drivers is a constant struggle’ Autorickshaw drivers decide to charge consumers based on wherever the fare is higher — app or meter. If there is a rule that they must ply by the meter, it should be followed at all times, without exceptions. If asked to clarify, they get extremely rude and some also start fighting. Complaints on aggregator apps do not amount to any action anymore. When apps began, they provided a certain level of safety, which is crucial. That has gone missing now. Either we need to revert only to fares charged by apps, or have authorised auto stands registered with local police, who cannot refuse rides to passengers. They cannot operate at their will this way — Sukumar Patankar | Electronics engineer
