Chennai Autorickshaw to ride with Smile
After 10 years they have hiked the fares. That is greater news for people of chennai, who don’t have to bargain anymore with Autorickshaw drivers. Well, this is what I am hoping for.
Proposed system suggest that from January, 26, 2007
| Minimum 2 KM | Subsequent 1 KM | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fare | Old | New | Old | New |
| 7 Rs | 14Rs | 3.50 Rs | 6Rs | |
I had visited other states like Thrissur – Kerala and Bangalore – Karnataka, where the Auto drivers never over charged for the ride. Infact they gave the exact change in return with out even you asking for it.
Hope we will also have a smiling journey. And our Chennai city will have honorable Autorickshaw drivers
I pray your dream to come true. Even after this hike the autodrivers would knoe how to”HEAT” their meters and also to collect minimum 2 fold of the rates fixed.
Its ridiculous that the fares were’nt raised for ten years! No wonder the auto drivers, in sheer frustration, behave the way they do. Its very difficult to get them to think differently now. They’ve become used to extorting money, and I doubt they will stop. maybe they will demand less, but demand they will.Unless the city police takes this very seriously. Which I doubt as apparently many police officers own auto rickshaws!
“Which I doubt as apparently many police officers own auto rickshaws!”
True David, I was hesitating to talk about that on blog. You opened it out.
That is one of the reason, that they don’t follow traffic rules.
Have you noticed one more thing, about the autorickshaw stand, try to park your vehicle for a minute they would say like as if they payed tax for the entire place or as if they own that entire piece of land, they would some time come a park right in front of your gate and leave the place while you get stranded.
auto driver sudu veppa meter ku, appo kandippa meter rate la kasu vangalam ;)
They’re only going to raise their rates, citing that the “govermentae ethiruchu!”
I’m quaking.
Pavithra, very true…they will say “kattupadi aagathu sir”. In fact, couple of drivers voiced the same sentiment on Makkal TV
Pavithra, very true…they will say “kattupadi aagathu sir”. In fact, couple of drivers voiced the same sentiment on Makkal TV
AUto drivers are going to make big money. high time for us to look for alternatives. Henceforth, autodrivers would be earning more that u
Sometimes I have to take an autorickshaw from Taramani Road close to Vijaya Nagar to Thiruvanmiyur Rly Station, Parrys Corner and so on. The distance between Vijaya Nagar to Thiruvanmiyur Rly Station is about 4 kms. As per the new rates, auto fare works out to about Rs 24. The fare demanded now is between Rs 40 to 50/- The distance between Vijaya Nagar to Parrys Corner is about 18 kms. As per the new fare, the fare would have to be Rs 108/-. Presently during day time, they demand Rs 150/- and nights it is Rs 175/-. The auto drivers will continue not to use the meter. Rs 50 to T Rly station will go to Rs 75 and Rs 150 to Parrys Corner will increase to Rs 200/-
Guys, We should have some empathy for them.. Place yourself for a day in their situation..
Auto drivers, generally don’t own the autos they drive. They rent it for Rs.100 a day and have to foot the bill for fuel too, any profit after these expenses becomes their takehome..
On an average they get 5 rides a day which may cover 40 kms. Do the math.. Rs.35 for first km of 5 rides. Rs.123 for the 35 kms for the rest of the journey.. Its barely break even. They have families and expenses..
Not every auto driver lives like Superstar Rajini in Badsha..
…so how come so many of them pick and choose which fares they can be bothered with then?
No, sorry… not so much sympathy.
I’m pleased to see that night-time starts at 10.00. Many drivers would have it that it begins closer to 8.00 — or even, as soon as it gets dark!
For longer trips, especially waiting and round trips, it has been more economical to go by call-taxi recently.
Guys & Gals,
Is there any talk of shifting exsisting auto’s to CNG (like in bangalore).
The blog http://developedment.blogspot.com/2007/01/chennai-auto-fares-have-been-revised.html tells me that bangalore auto’s run in CNG. Is this true.
Why cant’ then Chennai follow Bangalore.
Apart from screwed up fares, pollution from autos is also huge in chennai and need to be tackled, I guess.
I have been in bangalore as well as in chennai….both places, extortion and the manipulation of auto drivers are getting worse by the day. As someone said…since the govt itself has raised the prices, they will also raise their asking price. I have never seen a Chennai auto driver put on a meter, I dont even know if they work.
In Chennai, if I was a tourist, I wouldnt know what to do. At least in bangalore they put on the meter and nowadays the new digital meter. Still I think as soon as it gets dark…extortion dawns.
Life as I know it – Irfan
I’ve wondered about those coveted stands near to hotels, especially the expensive ones, where the fares to obvious strangers can be in the hundreds of rupees.
Places on those stands must be very highly prized. how are they come by? Inheritance?
The ‘new’ fares seem pretty much on a par with what they are charging now for the 30-ish trips.
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That is greater news for people of chennai, who don’t have to bargain anymore with Autorickshaw drivers.
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I sincerely hope that this was supposed to be a joke. I’ve been in Chennai for over a year now and have been harboring a sort of love-hate relationship with the city. But the one aspect that I cannot look past is the atrocious hold that the Auto Drivers – the men of the masses – seem to have over this city. What I fail to comprehend is the glaring difference between a city like Mumbai or Hyderabad (where auto fares are according to meters), and Chennai. Another fact that proves to be frustrating time and again is how fares are typically dependant on the clothes you wear or the language you speak. In the suburbs, a good number of people using the Auto these days belong to what’s collectively known as the “IT folk”. They’re robbed blind owing to some prophetic message that has been drilled into the minds of our Auto Drivers. “Software’la ellam maasam 1 latcham sambalam vangareenga!,” they say. I’m sorry but the last time I checked, my paycheck quoted a lot less and I certainly don’t feel good about paying 100 bucks to go from Kathipara to Vijay Nagar.
Granted autorickshaws should cost more than your regular public transport… but if a city like Mumbai can have its Auto Drivers thriving on fares set by meters, can’t we have it in Chennai too? Or am I missing something here?
Thats gonna be a respite for all chennaites. Though late it is better that we have some rules in place. anyways lets see how effective this system would be in chennai.
Our dear auto guys can actually make more money than their copunterparts in other cities if they are smart..which they aren’t, they are just greedy. I mean plying short distances. Nopes these guys will only pick up long diatance fares since the only the meter soodu works better.
Do you guys honestly think the Govt was looking to help passengers through this revision ? No ways…Just another one of those “appeasing” stunt. If they were serious, why not strictly impelement the digital meters, which is relatively tougher to tamper with? You get my drift ?
I have developed a strategy with Chennai auto guys. Like I come out of Central, get surrounded by 20 of them asking me where I have to go. I look around and tell them _”Virugambakkam- 50 roobaikku yaaru vareenga?” . There is usually a shocked silence followed by “Inna saar, kindal panriya?” . I say -“illema, nee sollu evlo keekare?” The guys are zapped, most of them slink away and the guys who really want to earn say “meter rate kudu saar”. So I end up paying maybe 10-15 bucks soodu over the actual fare and not the 150 bucks the gullible do. I haven’t patented this stratgey. so its Open source folks. Try it , it works :-)
Firstly I dont to what extent we can see this heappening in a meaningful way, due to the following reasons,
1. Today almost 40-50% of the auto’s in chennai are not self owned and mostly are owned by the police personnel.
2. After years to now following and system, how easly will it be for them to get into the system. Its more like moving from being uncivilised to being civilised.
3. How will it be enforced?. When the cops are the owners will they take action?
4. Nobody is talking about the stringent factor that these are public transports and need to run at the request of the customer. ie when the customer wants to go to any place, the auto driver should not deny or say any objection.
5. No look at customer or wait for him to waive off the Rs.1.00 that he has to return back. What ever is the metercharge that has to be settled instantaneously.
6. Stingent action should be take for not maintaining papers in order including pollution checks, since auto’s a big air pollutant in chennai.
7. Effectiveness of the action again is questionable since the govt considers this crowd and their families as big vote banks.
8. Slowly phase out the 2 stroke auto’s, make it run on LPG and fix the no of auto’s in the city to a certain no over a period of time.
9. Whether it is sun or rain the charges again should be the same. Overcharging in rainy season – Exploiting the customers helplessness.
Unless all the above are thought off or action effected there is no point in all this.
Only what will happen is
meter mela pathurupa aagum. (pay Rs.10 over the meter price)
I cannot come to that place/Address.
I will not put the meter will charge you so much.