<p>Frustrated by steep auto fares on most ride-hailing apps, city-based techie Anmol Sharma launched ‘Meter Haaki’, a website to help commuters calculate government-approved fares instantly.</p>.<p>“The idea came to me out of my own frustration. In June-end, I was looking for a ride to Yeshwantpur Railway Station after the bike taxi ban, and two major aggregators were charging around Rs 850, while another showed around Rs 350. The difference was huge and nowhere close to the government-approved fare. That’s when I decided to build this tool,” said Sharma, founder and CEO of Naviget app. He designed and launched the website in early August.</p>.<p>Through Meter Haaki, Sharma hopes to make commuters aware of what they should rightfully be paying, and to call out aggregators for overcharging despite clear government directives. “Guidelines state that aggregators cannot charge more than 10% above the government fare. Yet, they continue to add extra fees and even tips before the ride begins,” he pointed out. </p>.<p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p>.<p>The website is simple to use: users enter their travel distance and waiting time, and it calculates the “fair fare” as per Karnataka government guidelines. The tool also factors in night-time and waiting charges. “It took just one day to build. I wanted it to be quick, simple, and useful,” Sharma said.</p>.<p>Building on the initial success, Sharma and his team are now working on a mobile application for the website, which will integrate Google Maps, Ola Maps, and location APIs. It is set to launch by September first week. “The app will automatically detect start and end points, calculate the distance, and display the exact government-approved fare. It will be free to download,” he added.</p>.<p>Visit meterhaaki.com</p>
<p>Frustrated by steep auto fares on most ride-hailing apps, city-based techie Anmol Sharma launched ‘Meter Haaki’, a website to help commuters calculate government-approved fares instantly.</p>.<p>“The idea came to me out of my own frustration. In June-end, I was looking for a ride to Yeshwantpur Railway Station after the bike taxi ban, and two major aggregators were charging around Rs 850, while another showed around Rs 350. The difference was huge and nowhere close to the government-approved fare. That’s when I decided to build this tool,” said Sharma, founder and CEO of Naviget app. He designed and launched the website in early August.</p>.<p>Through Meter Haaki, Sharma hopes to make commuters aware of what they should rightfully be paying, and to call out aggregators for overcharging despite clear government directives. “Guidelines state that aggregators cannot charge more than 10% above the government fare. Yet, they continue to add extra fees and even tips before the ride begins,” he pointed out. </p>.<p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p>.<p>The website is simple to use: users enter their travel distance and waiting time, and it calculates the “fair fare” as per Karnataka government guidelines. The tool also factors in night-time and waiting charges. “It took just one day to build. I wanted it to be quick, simple, and useful,” Sharma said.</p>.<p>Building on the initial success, Sharma and his team are now working on a mobile application for the website, which will integrate Google Maps, Ola Maps, and location APIs. It is set to launch by September first week. “The app will automatically detect start and end points, calculate the distance, and display the exact government-approved fare. It will be free to download,” he added.</p>.<p>Visit meterhaaki.com</p>