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Clogs in the wheel: How Mumbaikars suffer due to fare refusal, ill-mannered drivers and extra charges

A steep rise in auto and taxi fares nearly two years ago was meant to reduce commuting woes of Mumbaikars. Barring few improvements, issues like fare refusal, ill-mannered drivers and transportation of extra passengers still persist. Ateeq Shaikh and Little Yadav throw more light

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When the state government permitted a steep increase in auto and taxi fares in September 2012, much to the annoyance of the citizens, it put down certain conditions, including non-refusal of fares, to alleviate commuters' travelling woes. But it seems the owners and drivers have accepted only a handful of them, conveniently ignoring the rest.

One of the conditions that have been accepted by the autowallahs and cabbies is mandatory installation of electronic meters to curb rampant meter tampering. Initially, there was resistance and reluctance by the unions, but the authorities ensured they had their way.

Another condition was increasing the total number of auto rickshaw and taxi stands in Mumbai, which is certainly on the rise. Moreover, even the share-a-taxi and share-an-auto stands have increased as compared to a couple of years ago.

What has not been done is installation of indicators on top of cabs displaying if a vehicle is 'For Hire' or 'Hired'. The unions have been claiming that the taxi-top units cost more and it will only be an added baggage on the cabbies. The transport authorities don't seem too keen to enforce this.

Moreover, hardly any driver wears identity cards with legible letters so that commuters can note the details of erring drivers. Apart from helping them register complaints in case of violations, this will go a long way to ensure safety of scores of women using these modes of transport.

However, what is most annoying the fare refusal. With electronic meters coming in and being put up below the dashboard, it has become easier for cabbies to refuse fares as compared to their counterparts – autorickshaws. Electronic meters of auto rickshaws do indicate if the three-wheeler is available for hire or if the driver is off-duty.

Sushant Desai, a resident of Santa Cruz said, "It is not only that the drivers refuse fares, they are rude to the core and do not even bother to respond if they do not wish to ply on a particular destination. There are occasions when traffic police prefer regulating traffic instead of booking errant cabbies and auto drivers."

Defending his colleagues, A L Quadros, president of Mumbai Taximen's Union, said, "There is a major shortage of cabs in Mumbai. We have taken up the issue several times with the authorities but in vain. Between 5pm and 7pm, the shift changes and a driver prefers going to places where the other driver is waiting. Thus, the fare refusals. If they do not do this there will be no second shift."

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