The Maharashtra transport ministry on Tuesday said a policy on implementation of electronic metres in autos in Mumbai and Pune would be finalised in a month.
The Maharashtra transport ministry on Tuesday said a policy on implementation of electronic metres in autos in Mumbai and Pune would be finalised in a month. The ministry recently got meter manufacturers and auto men face to face to dispel all doubts about their implementation.
Determined to push through electronic meters and fed up with auto unions’ nit-picking and excuses that e-meters can be tampered with and are not reliable, the transport department brought meter manufacturers, repairmen, and everyone related to e-meters face to face with auto union leader to dispel all doubts.
“We had a comprehensive meeting involving all the stakeholders of electronic meters. There were auto union leaders who said that there were problems with e-meters like they could be tampered with, they were not reliable in the monsoon and many such excuses.
To address this problem, we got e-meter manufacturers, repairmen and technicians at the meeting and clear their doubts on the spot. I have also asked manufacturers to ensure that their models cannot be tampered with,” Gulabrao Deokar, minister of state for transport told DNA. Deokar heads the state electronic meters committee.
“On Wednesday, we will move the policy proposal to the cabinet to make their implementation compulsory for Mumbai and Pune,” he added.
Auto union leader Shashank Rao said that they were called for the meeting on electronic meeting, but they were not given a demonstration. “We did have a meeting with manufacturers and the committee members, but not given a demonstration. We were told that the demo on e-meters was only for transport officers and not for union members.”
Deokar admitted that there would be opposition, but added that the government was determined to implement e-meters to curb malpractices among the auto men.
E-meters can be calibrated according to the tariff card and there are less chances of being tampered as compared to the mechanical ones.
Auto union members said that they oppose the proposal and said that the government was taking their view of the issue, like the increased cost element to install the meters. However, Deokar said that the cost raise is minimal and that the government was determined to implement it.
Rao said it was not just the cost, but the big assurance that the meters cannot be tampered with are a myth.
“Our opposition to the installation of meters continues,” he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}