'It is wrong to expect all drivers to behave like gentlemen'

Strict action will be taken against drivers who cheat commuters, said transport commissioner VN MOre on the first day of the auto and taxi fare hike in the city. Kailash Korde reports.

Interview VN More, transport commissioner

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Strict action will be taken against drivers who cheat commuters, said transport commissioner VN MOre on the first day of the auto and taxi fare hike in the city.

Why have all auto and taxi drivers not received the tariff cards as yet?
We started distributing the tariff cards at union offices from Wednesday afternoon. We can't reach all drivers in one day. But, we are trying our level best. All drivers will have the new tariff cards within 2-3 days. In places such as Navi Mumbai, we are trying to make the cards available with the traffic police.

After the fare hike, do you think incidents of refusal and overcharging by auto and taxi drivers will reduce?
It is wrong to expect that all auto and taxi drivers to behave like gentlemen after the hike. Some of them will always resort to wrongful activities. We will take action against them. Passengers should also remain vigilant to avoid getting cheated.

Why does it take so long for the authorities to act on complaints?
There is a procedure to be followed while acting on complaints. We can't deviate from it. I am aware that it takes a lot of time, but there are several reasons behind it. It may get delayed, but, we will take action against all the complaints.

How does the transport department plan to help commuters?
We have started share-a-taxi and auto schemes on many routes in the city one-and-a-half years ago. We will extend them on other routes too. If people want the facility on any particular route, they can send an application to their respective RTOs.