Cops reining in auto driverstrying to skip pre-fixed booths

Shut down when the pandemic broke out, they are slowly coming back to life

Two pre-fixed fare auto booths have been up and running for almost a week, and many citizens Metrolife spoke to are happy they don’t have to haggle over fares.

M A Saleem, who took over as the head of Bengaluru traffic police as the special commissioner recently, says the booths on MG Road and at the KSRTC bus stop in Majestic are picking up.

“These were shut down during the pandemic. Now that things are more or less normal, we thought it would be a good time to bring them back,” he told Metrolife.

Two more are set to open in a week — one near Commercial Street and one in Koramangala.

Many auto drivers, used to quoting a fare and negotiating with customers, are reluctant to get back into the monitored-fare system, though.

At the booths, the police go by a fare chart and tell the passengers how much they must pay at the end of the ride. Drivers are not allowed to charge extra.

On Monday afternoon, Metrolife found no autos at the MG Road metro station. Some autos were parked near the Brigade Road junction, a stone’s throw from the entrance to the station.

“Auto drivers have lost touch with the practice of prepaid stands. We’re trying to once again familiarise them with it,” a traffic cop stationed at the booth says.

The re-opened stand is gaining in popularity, he says. “It’s just 2 pm now, and about 140 people have hailed autos from here already,” he told Metrolife.

Rangappa, a 51-year-old auto driver from Magadi Road, prefers ride aggregator apps to pre-fixed fare auto stands. “For two years we have worked solely with Ola and Uber, and even our auto drivers’ union has its own app. There is no need for prepaid auto stands now,” he says. On apps, drivers have the choice to take or decline a ride, which they can’t at the pre-paid stands. “Why are we being forced to use these stands?” asks driver Karthik D.

C Sampath, general secretary, Adarsha Auto Union, believes the drivers will get used to the kiosks soon. “The kiosks help not only commuters but also auto drivers. They bring about uniformity and routine,” he says.

The goal is to encourage public transport for long commutes, and autos for last-mile connectivity, says Saleem. “We’re trying to reduce traffic congestion, and encourage Bengalureans to move to public transport,” he says.

What citizens say

A woman and her son shopping on M G Road were happy to see pre-paid auto booths back.

“This system is completely hassle free. You don’t have to hear drivers quote ridiculous fares and then haggle with them,” the woman says.

But not everyone is happy to see the pre-fixed booths return. “On Saturday, the cops got me an auto at the M G Road metro station. But my happiness was short-lived. Within just two minutes of starting the ride, the driver demanded Rs 50 extra. When I refused, he asked me to get off near Anil Kumble Circle,” says Rajajinagar resident Shakila B.

If such a situation occurs, citizens must alert the deployed official at the pre-fixed booth, says a traffic official.

“Always take down the number of the auto. When you hail an auto from here, we note down your destination and the auto number. If drivers misbehave or demand extra, you can always come back and complain, and we will look into it,” he says.