Fare meter installation yet to pick up pace

Gurugram Only 1.2% of the total registered autorickshaws plying in the city have got digital fare meters affixed, two months after the transport department started

Gurugram Only 1.2% of the total registered autorickshaws plying in the city have got digital fare meters affixed, two months after the transport department started installing them.

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Lack of fare meters in autos has been a major concern for residents, who wanted fare-regulated last-mile connectivity options. It was also raised several times during the grievance redressal meetings chaired by the chief minister.

Of the 40,000 registered petrol and CNG autorickshaws, only 484 auto owners have got digital fare meters installed — 206 meters were installed in November 2019 and 278 in December 2019 — after being verified by the weight and measurement department, termed legal metrology.

“Autos with fare meters are limited to the city as only those operators or drivers who require a new registration certificate or fitness certificates are approaching us,” said Harinder Singh, inspector, Regional Transport Authority (RTA).

In a letter in August 2019, the transport commissioner issued the directives to install digital fare meters conforming to the standards of Bureau of Indian Standards and certified by weights and measurement department. The installation process, however, started only in November.

Officials say the drive started only after the RTA stopped providing registration certificates to new autos and fitness certificates to autos older than two years, without fare meters. It was during the same time when a big push was given to stop plying of diesel autos in the wake of deteriorating air quality.

“There are over 40,000 registered petrol and CNG autos in Gurugram. In November 2019, the drive started based on the directive issued by the transport commissioner’s office. We are not giving any RC or fitness certificate without fare meters. It is mandatory, by norms, now,” said Singh.

It is to be noted that the fitness certificates of the vehicles have to be renewed every two years.

Singh said that digital fare meters are being installed after the road try test, also called passing, which was conducted on Dwarka Expressway and certification of fare meters, by legal metrology, during the same time.

Ajay Dahiya, inspector, legal metrology, who has been closely working with the RTA, said, “For the first time, digital fare meters are being installed in autorickshaws of Gurugram. The role of our department is to put an authentication seal in the meter after checking the pulse generation, i.e., fare calculation after every kilometre. We are conducting the verification during the road try test.”

Senior RTA officials, who preferred anonymity, said that they are taking the process smoothly as they don’t want any backlash from the autorickshaw union, who are already against the fixed fares.

On May 30, 2019, the state government had issued a gazette notification on the fixed fares chargeable by autorickshaws within the limits of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and Faridabad — ₹12 for the first kilometre and ₹8 per each additional kilometre. From 11pm to 5am, an additional 25% night charge is to be applied. The notification had also fixed ₹7.50 as extra luggage charges, but stated that the driver shall not charge any money for shopping bags or a small suitcase.

“We are not opposed to the idea of fare meters but the charges fixed are unjustified,” said Yogesh Sharma, state general secretary of the Haryana Auto Chalak Sangathan.

“The charges fixed by the state government are comparatively lower than auto fare in Delhi, which is ₹25 for the first one-and-a-half kilometres. By lowering the fare, the government wants to indirectly suppress and weed out autorickshaws from Gurugram,” he said.

According to him, fare meters are being sold for prices higher than the market cost. “Fare meters cost around ₹1,000 in Delhi. In Gurugram, its price has been fluctuating. It was ₹2,400 in November 2019, which increased to ₹2,800 and further, to ₹2,950,” said Yadav, calling it the monopoly of RTA and dealers.

Meanwhile, many auto drivers say they don’t see the necessity of having fare meters as they get bookings through app-based aggregators. “We run throughout the day on app bookings. There is no reason for us to have a fare meter. If it becomes mandatory, then we might get it installed,” said Pradeep Kumar, an autorickshaw owner.