MMRTA should withdraw the decision to certify e-meters: Mumbai Grahak Panchayat

Mumbai: The Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) on Thursday wrote to chief minister Eknath Shinde requesting the withdrawal of the approval given to the Mumbai Autorickshaw Men’s Union to recalibrate electric metres in autos and taxis within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Mumbai: The Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) on Thursday wrote to chief minister Eknath Shinde requesting the withdrawal of the approval given to the Mumbai Autorickshaw Men’s Union to recalibrate electric metres in autos and taxis within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Mumbai, India - Jan. 8, 2019: Commuters stand in line for auto rickshaw outside Andheri(E) Station due to BEST Strike in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. (Photo by Satyabrata Tripathy/Hindustan Times) (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

In a first, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA), last week, approved an application from the union to conduct a bench test of electric metres. Bench test is a process to check the accuracy of e-meters before they are fitted back on the vehicle after recalibration.

Transport experts cited that this move could lead to the manipulation of metres and would eventually impact consumers.

“The decision of MMRTA to allow an auto union to carry out table tests for electronic metre recalibration is unfair to consumers. Manipulating and rigging metres and thus overcharging and exploiting auto or taxi consumers is a very well-known hazard consumer have been facing in Maharashtra for decades. Such an important job of a-metre recalibration needs to be carried by technically qualified, competent and independent bodies,” said Shirish Deshpande, chairman, of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat.

“It’s significant to note that MMRTA has rightly rejected the permission to Sansui for the same job on the ground that the company is a metre manufacturer, and therefore “interested party”. The same principle applies to the auto union too and hence MMRTA ought to have rejected the permission on the same ground,” added Deshpande.

“An auto union is a body to protect the interest of auto owners or drivers, and therefore not qualified to undertake this job. MGP, therefore, demands that MMRTA withdraw this decision granting permission to auto union with a view to invoke credibility & trust in the process of metre recalibration,” added Deshpande.

Transport experts also condemned this decision, AV Shenoy, a transport expert, said, “A rickshaw union is an interested party. If they are handed over the responsibility, the beneficiary becomes the authority. There ideally should be an independent party like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) or some organisation approved by a prominent authority to give the bench test. A union can make the metre run faster by 2%, and in such an instance the fare for a consumer who has travelled a long distance will easily be an additional ₹20.”

Adding, “Moreover, there is no mechanism where the commuters can challenge the functioning of the metres. The consumer will have to take it for granted that the metres are functioning well and pay accordingly.”

Meanwhile, Thampy Kurian, general secretary, of Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union, said, “As we are one among them, we will ensure that the charges for recalibration are such that auto drivers can bear the cost easily. Moreover, there will be some authority from the motor vehicle department present to monitor the bench test. We have received the approval after inspection from the authority.”

An officer from MMRTA, said, “Before giving permission the entire premise and infrastructure of the applicants were inspected.”

Along with the union, an e-meter manufacturing company had also applied for permission to run a bench test centre. This was rejected by MMRTA stating that being a manufacturer instead of carrying out self-tests it will be appropriate to carry them out through a third party.