Those who are coming to Chennai or for that matter any part of Tamil Nadu from the rest of the country are advised to hire call taxis from airport or railway stations. With Sunday evening’s revision of auto fares by the State Government, Tamil Nadu has the highest autorickshaw fares in the country. The minimum fare is Rs 25 for a 1.8 km ride and Rs 12 for every additional kilometre travelled. The traveller has to pay 50 per cent more during 11 pm to 5 am.
Travellers in New Delhi pay Rs 25 for every kilometre travelled and Rs 8 for every additional kilometre. In Mumbai, the minimum fare is Rs 15 (for 1.8 km) and Rs 10 for every additional kilometre. Though the Government has placated them by fixing the highest auto fares in the country, autorickshaws in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu fleece the passengers by charging them twice of what has been decided by the Government. Not a single traveller is willing to complain to the Transport Commissioner about the highhandedness of the autorickshaw drivers in Chennai.
“Autorickshaw drivers in Chennai are a law unto themselves. In fact they run a parallel Government in the State,” R Desikan, founder trustee, Consumers Association of India, told The Pioneer. Desikan, described as India’s Ralph Nader, was the only person who allowed to quote his name in this report. All others to whom The Pioneer spoke to asked not to reveal their names for fear of repercussions.
Though the 72,000 autorickshaws plying on Chennai roads have meters, not a single meter works. “If we insist them to put on the meter, they just abuse us in the fiolthiest of the languages,” said a lady scribe in Chennai. She said she has found that 95 per cent of the autorickshaws have been fitted with tampered meters. “I have seen meters running faster than the autorickshaws themselves,” she said.
Desikan said it is better to hire recognised call taxis while in Tamil Nadu. “You need not argue with the call taxi drivers since all cabs have GPS tracking and electronic billing system. I have found that there isn’t much difference between the fares,” he said.
Though Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has issued stern warning to auto drivers that those found violating Government guidelines stand to lose their permits, commuters doubt whether the Government has an enforcement system to monitor the auto drivers.
For a ride which is less than one kilometre, auto drivers charge Rs 50. When this reporter pointed out that the minimum fare is Rs 25, the driver retorted; “It is for publication in newspapers. Our minimum fare for the time being is Rs 50,” said Shanmugham, an auto driver at Egmore.
Desikan said that the Jayalalithaa Government has been reasonably successful in sorting out many problems, whether it be power crisis or the Cauvery water issue, “But the Chief Minister is not aware of the parallel Government being run by autorickshaw department. People are reluctant to make complaints because they are under the impression that most of the autorickshaws are owned by Government staff including policemen,” said Desikan.
Interestingly, many autorickshaws were seen parked at residential quarters of State Government employees and police officials. A former senior police official confided to this reporter that autorickshaws are owned by policemen, Government employees and politicians. “Unless this cartel is dismantled, Chennai autorickshaws will continue fleecing the passengers. The reasons given by the auto drivers that they overcharge because of hike in the price of petrol and diesel is bunkum,” he said.
Kannan, a former auto driver who switched over to the role of a chauffer last years said he used to earn Rs 750 on an average per day. “I used to ply between 7 am and 7 pm and has not overcharged anybody. Passengers usually give me Rs 10 or Rs 20 more than what I ask for,” he said.
Writers have described about two insatiable things in the universe. Graveyards and deserts. “Graveyards have an unquenchable appetite for dead bodies. Deserts will never be satisfied even if you direct all water in the universe to them. Similarly, auto drivers in Chennai could never be made happy even if you offer them twice of what they ask for. In local parlance they are known as Auto Bullies,” said Bimal Roy, a Chennai resident.