Mumbai CEO charged ₹100 for 500 meter auto ride in Bengaluru, Twitterati responds

Mandar Natekar, the co-founder and CEO of a software company claimed that he was charged ₹100 for just half a kilometer ride.

The ‘costly’ auto rides in Bengaluru raked up a discussion on Twitter once again after the Mumbai CEO shared his experience in the city. Mandar Natekar, the co-founder and CEO of a software company claimed that he was charged ₹100 for just half a kilometer ride.

Mumbai CEO charged ₹100 for 500 mt auto ride in Bengaluru, Twitterati responds

Natekar also called the auto meter as the most ‘ornamental’ thing inside the auto. He tweeted, “In this photo you will see the most ornamental thing in Bengaluru. The great Auto Meter. So expensive that it never gets used. I just paid 100Rs for a 500 mtrs ride.” He also compared it with the auto fares in Mumbai. “To give perspective, in Mumbai 100Rs is the meter fare for approx 9 kms,” he added.

The Twitter users came together to share their Bengaluru auto experiences. A user wrote, “I have faced a similar issue. I was asked to pay Rs. 250 for 1.40 kms from Garuda Mall to Lido Mall. I refused to pay and decided to walk and reached earlier compared to me taking an auto and getting stuck in peak Bangalore traffic.” Another user wrote, “It's true and very unfortunate. I had a similar experience when I first shifted to Bangalore in 2010. Mumbai and Maharashtra are quite reasonable not only Auto fare, but even Taxi fares, especially outdoor tours.”

Meanwhile, a few users also came in support of the auto drivers and said that the fare must be due to the traffic and not for the distance. A few others also claimed that every city has the same situation and not just Bengaluru.

Bengaluru police earlier said that they are cracking down on auto drivers who are charging excessive fares for auto rides. “@BlrCityTraffic is actively cracking down on auto drivers haggling passengers for excess fees over the meter. In case of overcharge/refusal, public can raise a complaint through the dedicated hotline set up for Auto Rikshaw Complaints: 080-22868444 / 080-22868550,” said Bengaluru police in a tweet.