Auto drivers may lose their permits for overcharging

Rising number of complaints of auto rickshaw drivers overcharging passengers has forced the transport department, on Wednesday, to warn the autorickshaw drivers. Atul Mathur reports.

Rising number of complaints of auto rickshaw drivers overcharging passengers has forced the transport department, on Wednesday, to warn the autorickshaw drivers.

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"We had agreed to their (autorickshaw drivers) demands of a good fare hike only on the condition that they will charge passengers according to the fare meter. But if we continue getting complaints against them, we will withdraw the hike and will also cancel permits of the errant autorickshaws," Delhi transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said.

"Some of them have even got fake fare chart printed to fleece passengers. The government had given a reasonably good hike to the auto fare. It is

now the government's responsibility to ensure that autorickshaws do not overcharge," said Anirban Roy, an insurance agent.

Lovely said the autorickshaw drivers have been given six months time to install global positioning system in their vehicles. "Once the Games are over, our enforcement teams will launch a massive drive against errant three-wheeler drivers. We are also working on providing alternative to auto rickshaws to Delhi residents. We have already started giving permits to small vehicles to ply in rural areas. We have also registered two operators to run low-fare radio taxis in the Capital," Lovely said.