Pre-paid auto counters upgrade technology for passenger safety

In an enhanced safety measure, especially for passengers travelling in autorickshaws, the city police on Saturday equipped their eight pre-paid auto counters in the city with latest technology. The technology not only gives information about the fare and destination, but also the man in the driver’s seat.

Revenue and District In-charge Minister V Srinivas Prasad launched the technology upgraded service in the presence of Police Commissioner B Dayananda at the pre-paid auto counter at the KSRTC Suburban Bus Stand.

Passengers have to provide their mobile phone number at the counter henceforth, while availing the service. Besides issuing the receipt, a text message will be sent to the passenger’s phone about the name of the driver, vehicle number and also the phone number of the driver. 

As usual, the policemen, who are managing the counters will charge Re 1 service fee for the receipt, while the SMS service is free.

The new initiative will help the policemen in tracing the erring drivers. It will also help the passengers, in case they leave their luggages behind in the three-wheeler.

The measure serves in additional to the driver display board in every autorickshaw having similar details, helping the passengers know about their driver.

Ever since the pre-paid auto system was introduced in the city, close to a decade ago, a total of eight such centres are functioning. Beginning from the main entrance of the railway station, the centres have been introduced in the railway station (second entry side), KSRTC city and sub-urban bus stands, Palace, K R Hospital, Mysuru Zoo and also Infosys.

In the existing set up, the passengers were handed a receipt of fare for their destination, to be paid to the driver after reaching the destination. Some autorickshaw drivers were collecting the receipts from the passengers and were also extorting more fare. When a passenger lodges a complaint, it is difficult for the policemen to identify the offending driver. All such problems will be addressed with the adoption of the latest technology.

The passengers can also rate the behaviour of the driver by responding to another SMS received at the end. If the driver’s behaviour is good or bad, during the course of journey, all they should do is ring separate given numbers (landline) and the message will be recorded automatically.

In all, nearly 6,000 passengers avail pre-paid auto services every day, with the counter at the suburban bus stand catering to an average of 2,500 passengers per day, followed by 1,500 at the railway station.