State govt plans pre-paid autos for long-distance journeys

You may soon be able to hop into a pre-paid auto and travel long distances without the fear of being ripped off by auto drivers. The state transport department on Tuesday said it is considering starting pre-paid auto services in the city.

You may soon be able to hop into a pre-paid auto and travel long distances without the fear of being ripped off by auto drivers. The state transport department on Tuesday said it is considering starting pre-paid auto services in the city.

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The pre-paid services will be meant for long-distance journeys and will use a prescribed fare chart that is prepared on the basis of distances. As is the case for pre-paid taxis, commuters will have to pay the fare before they start the journey. The commuter will get a printed receipt that mentions the vehicle number.

"After we are done with starting all five pre-paid taxi stands, we will think about having pre-paid auto services," said VN More, state transport commissioner.

It will be a boon for commuters if pre-paid autos are available outside railway stations such as Bandra, Andheri, Borivli, Kurla and Thane, from where outstation trains operate.

The third pre-paid taxi stand, the first in the suburbs, was thrown open to the public on Tuesday at Bandra terminus. Of the five stands planned, three are now operational - Mumbai Central, Dadar and Bandra terminus - while the ones at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus are yet to start.

"We will concentrate on LTT as it is the busiest among all stations, but currently there are some obstacles such as lack of space to park the taxis," said More.