Recalibration chips not ready

With very few manufacturers ready with the fare hike programme to be installed in the auto and taxi electronic meters, you may have to carry your tariff card print-outs at least till Monday. Kailash Korde reports.

With very few manufacturers ready with the fare hike programme to be installed in the auto and taxi electronic meters, you may have to carry your tariff card print-outs at least till Monday.

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While many auto and taxi drivers tried to get their meters recalibrated on Thursday, they were turned down citing unavailability of programmable chipsets. "We cannot recalibrate the meters till we receive the hiked fare programme from the manufacturers. They would be getting the programmes in 3-4 days, after which the drivers can approach them," said a meter repairer.

A leading electronic meter manufacturer said that while they are ready with the hiked fare programme, it is necessary for them to check it thoroughly before providing it to avoid any goof-ups. "To complete the exercise in time, we plan to send our officers at spots where the bench tests for electronic meters would be carried out," said VN More, transport commissioner.

Under the new fare structure, 1.5km has been adopted as the minimum distance instead of the earlier 1.6km. Also, the meter reading will now change after 100 meters, thus making recalibration a must. The transport department has set a 45-day deadline, which ends on November 24 for the recalibration of 1.5 lakh autos and taxis.

The Mumbai Taximen's Union wants the deadline for recalibration to be extended till December 31. Shashank Rao, leader of Mumbai Autorickshawmen's Union, has alleged that transport department did not communicate with them on the issue formally.