Pune auto association demand RTO to permit charging as per tariff card

The Pune autorickshaw associations have demanded that the RTO authorities permit them to charge customers according to the tariff card rates as a number of auto meters are yet to be calibrated by the RTO authorities

The Pune autorickshaw associations have demanded that the RTO authorities permit them to charge customers according to the tariff card rates as a number of auto meters are yet to be calibrated by the RTO authorities.

An auto rickshaw driver shows a tariff card to a passenger on his mobile phone on Sunday. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

There are 94,000 autorickshaws in Pune district and only 30,000 have been calibrated so far.

The RTO had imposed a pre-condition that meters had to be reset and regularised as per the new rates and passengers be ferried as per meter .The autorickshaw drivers met with Transport Commissioner Avinash Dhakane on September 7 in Mumbai and apprised him of their demand.

The new rates were revised and came into effect in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and the district from September 1.

Riksha Panchayat vice-president Anand Belamkar said, “We have requested the RTO authorities to allow us to charge the passengers based on tariff cards as many of the auto drivers are yet to get their meter calibrated from the RTO authorities which still take more time. We are hopeful that the authorities will permit us to do so.”