Transport dept extends e-meter recalibration deadline, eases fines

Buckling under pressure from auto rickshaw and taxi unions, the transport department has further extended the deadline for recalibration of e-meters to March 31. The department has also eased the fines to a flat ₹950 till March 31 instead of ₹50 per day from January 16

Mumbai: Buckling under pressure from auto rickshaw and taxi unions, the transport department has further extended the deadline for recalibration of e-meters to March 31. The department has also eased the fines to a flat ₹950 till March 31 instead of ₹50 per day from January 16.

Mumbai, India - July 3, 2015 : Inspectors of Legal Metrology Department during recalibration of meters of auto rickshaws at BKC in Mumbai, India, on Friday, July 3, 2015. (Photo by Pratham Gokhale/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The revised deadline came in the wake of complaints by auto and taxi drivers, who failed to recalibrate their e-meters according to the earlier deadline.

According to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials, the unions demanded an extension in the deadline as several drivers could not meet the earlier deadline of January 15.

“If the drivers fail to recalibrate their e-meters even after March 31, they will have to pay a fine of ₹50 per day,” an official warned.

Those drivers who have not adhered to the rules mainly operate on share routes. However, the unions are claiming that these drivers could not recalibrate meters as they were not present in the city all these months.

“These drivers were in their hometowns over all these months and so did not recalibrate their e-meters. Now that they have realised that they were being penalised ₹50 per day, they returned. The numbers are miniscule, barely 2 to 3% of the total taxis are yet to recalibrate,” A L Quadros, senior taxi union leader, said.

A decision has been taken to count the total number of 19 days after January 15, for levying the penalty which comes to ₹950. “Now, the maximum that the drivers need to pay is ₹950 up to February 3. The drivers have been given a deadline of until March 31 to recalibrate their e-meters,” Thampi Kurien, auto rickshaw union leader, said.

The state transport department had revised and increased the fares for auto rickshaws and taxis from October 1 last year. Since then, they have extended the deadline twice–November 30 and until January 15. Yet, there are thousands of auto and taxi drivers, who have not recalibrated their e-meters with the revised fares to ₹23 for rickshaws and ₹28 for taxis.