Seasons change, but fleecing by Delhi autowallahs don’t
29 Jan 2013 5:09 AM IST
Be it winter, summer or rainy season, Delhi’s auto drivers are always willing to fleece the customers. The most common modus operandi is the ‘meter not work ing’ claim. Without a meter, they charge an approximate amount that of course is almost always more than the actual fare.
Priyanka Saxena, a resident of Connaught Place, said, ‘In front of policemen, auto drivers turn on their meters, otherwise, they deceive us saying that the meter is not working’.
‘When it’s winter, they complain that due to fog they are charging more. But when it’s summer or rainy season, they come up with excuses like heat and rain respectively,’ said Meenal Jaiswal a commuter.
‘The excuse which is said for the whole year for overcharging is the traffic,’ said another commuter.
The admission season of Delhi university is the peak time for the autowallahs to rise their charges, fleecing outstation students, who are not aware of the charges.
‘The auto drivers charge Rs 250 to Rs 300 from CR Park to North Campus,’ said Dola Ray, a student from Kolkata. She had already spent Rs 3,000 in commuting. ‘The money I have to pay for admission fees is less than what I have been shelling out for commuting,’ she said.
Foreigners are the easy targets for auto drivers, as being unfamiliar to the city they do not know ins and outs of the public transport system. ‘Auto fares are high and despite that many auto drivers refuse to take us to the desired destination. I end up negotiating with a number of autos which is a waste of time,’ said Prateeksha Saxena, a resident of Mayur Vihar.
Autowallahs for most part get by because people, though aware of the problem, don’t want to take the time to complain to the police.
On the other hand, those who take that extra step and complain face apathy. ‘I dont understand why the traffic officials pay no heed at all until we call them for help. I have never seen the cops checking the autos,’ said a commuter. And they have every reason to check. It is a open secret that most city autos ply with fake permits, flouting norms.
‘Sometimes, we pay the fine. At other times, we bribe our way out,’ said an auto driver, plying from Nehru Place to Safdarjung Enclave, who’s daily income is round about Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000.
Priyanka Saxena, a resident of Connaught Place, said, ‘In front of policemen, auto drivers turn on their meters, otherwise, they deceive us saying that the meter is not working’.
‘When it’s winter, they complain that due to fog they are charging more. But when it’s summer or rainy season, they come up with excuses like heat and rain respectively,’ said Meenal Jaiswal a commuter.
‘The excuse which is said for the whole year for overcharging is the traffic,’ said another commuter.
The admission season of Delhi university is the peak time for the autowallahs to rise their charges, fleecing outstation students, who are not aware of the charges.
‘The auto drivers charge Rs 250 to Rs 300 from CR Park to North Campus,’ said Dola Ray, a student from Kolkata. She had already spent Rs 3,000 in commuting. ‘The money I have to pay for admission fees is less than what I have been shelling out for commuting,’ she said.
Foreigners are the easy targets for auto drivers, as being unfamiliar to the city they do not know ins and outs of the public transport system. ‘Auto fares are high and despite that many auto drivers refuse to take us to the desired destination. I end up negotiating with a number of autos which is a waste of time,’ said Prateeksha Saxena, a resident of Mayur Vihar.
Autowallahs for most part get by because people, though aware of the problem, don’t want to take the time to complain to the police.
On the other hand, those who take that extra step and complain face apathy. ‘I dont understand why the traffic officials pay no heed at all until we call them for help. I have never seen the cops checking the autos,’ said a commuter. And they have every reason to check. It is a open secret that most city autos ply with fake permits, flouting norms.
‘Sometimes, we pay the fine. At other times, we bribe our way out,’ said an auto driver, plying from Nehru Place to Safdarjung Enclave, who’s daily income is round about Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000.
Next Story
