Go to the railway station, bus terminus or any other marketplace, no auto-rickshaw driver will be ready to ply by meter fare and demand you much more than actual fare. Arguments for meter fare will not be fruitful as the drivers have decided among themselves the inflated rates. After receiving many complaints from citizens, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) has decided to launch a drive to compel auto-rickshaw drivers to ply by meter.

RTO Ravindra Bhuyar told ‘The Hitavada’ that, this is the right of the passenger to pay by meter reading. The auto-rickshaws can charge Rs 18 per km and Rs 27 per 1.5 km of distance to the passenger. He also said that, special teams of RTO officials would be constituted to conduct checks across the State. Huge fine will be imposed against the auto-rickshaw for not following the rule, he warned.

The Regional Transport Office (RTO) has warned auto-rickshaw operators to calibrate their meters immediately or prepare to pay a fine. The deadline for recalibration of meters of three seater auto-rickshaw (petrol and CNG) was extended by 60 days from July 16, 2022. However, many three-wheelers are found plying in the city without calibrating the meters. Around 18,000 auto-rickshaws are registered in the city. Of these, 50 % have calibrated their meters so far, said RTO Bhuyar.