Transport authorities lift ban on manufacturer of faulty e-meters

The transport commissioner’s office on Friday lifted a two-month ban on a Pune-based electronic meter manufacturing company, after the company recalled and rectified all the faulty e-meters.

The transport commissioner’s office on Friday lifted a two-month ban on a Pune-based electronic meter manufacturing company, after the company recalled and rectified all the faulty e-meters.

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The company, M/s Super Electronic Meter Manufacturing Company, will be allowed to install new e-meters in autorickshaws from Monday, said sources from the transport department.

“The ban was lifted only after the company fulfilled all the conditions,” said VN More, state transport commissioner. He added that company has given in writing that it has recalled and rectified all the e-meters fitted on autorickshaws.

On September 3, transport authorities had banned the firm after some e-meters installed by the company on autorickshaws were found defective.

Sources said once the meter was flagged in a certain way, it would add the previous passenger’s fare to the current fare.

Almost 50% of e-meters, fitted in autorickshaws before August, were from this manufacturer, according to the RTO.

The transport authorities had ordered the company to get all unsold e-meters, manufactured after July 12, re-certified from Maharashtra Institute of Technology. “The company was also ordered to get all the recalled meters re-checked to ensure that fare details of previous passengers were completely erased. Besides, the e-meters were put through eight additional tests,” a source from the RTO said.

The transport authorities even issued an advisory to commuters asking them to check the fare displayed on electronic meters as soon as they get inside an autorickshaw.