JOIN USAmid crackdown, Bengaluru commuters find it tough to hail autos
Two days after transport Minister B Sriramulu said that he ordered officials to impound Ola and Uber vehicles operating in violation of the government's directives, regular autorickshaw commuters had a harrowing time booking autos and cabs.
The minister had said that he had dispatched his officials to look into the issue. He announced this decision after it was pointed out to him that app-based cab aggregators were still operating autorickshaws despite the transport department asking them to suspend the same.
Most commuters DH spoke to felt that instead of targeting the auto drivers, the government should catch hold of the companies and hold them accountable.
Aryan Aggarwal, a student at St Joseph's College of Commerce, feels instead of playing the blame game, the authorities need to take into account all the variables. "The government in collaboration with all the stakeholders, including aggregator companies like Ola, Uber and Rapido and a few start-ups must look at a wider perspective to understand the different variables that can or should influence the fare that can be charged to the customer.
These variables must include aspects not limiting to distance and time travelled, but also the peak hour system, employee generation from the corporate, use of electrical autos and incentivising the same for companies as well as drivers," Aryan told DH.
"One should also explore the possibility of integrating bike taxis and e-autos as the transport for the future," he added.
Divyashree Lal Chand, a professional, who regularly commutes from Marathahalli to Manyata Tech Park on the Outer Ring Road, says she couldn't book an Ola or Uber auto to go back home after work on Monday. "I spent an hour trying to book, but faced cancellations one after an another. The fares were increased by Rs 100, especially because it rained. I was willing to pay more, but none would accept the booking. Commuters are always at the receiving end for every harsh decision taken by the government. There must be a uniform fare that needs to be followed for auto rickshaws and cabs," Divyashree said.
There were a few commuters like Arun Devaiah, an entrepreneur, who says that he would rather book an Ola and pay a high amount, instead of negotiating with autos that are not attached to any aggregator.
"With Ola and Uber autos, you have a fair idea about the price and you are sure that you will be dropped at your destination. But with those autos that are not attached to an aggregator, there is no guarantee that they will take you to your destination and they charge an unreasonable amount," said Arun. However, he too feels a uniform policy should govern autos that ply under these aggregators. "This will help customers," he added.