[harry10]

Brilliant move. Can't say about other cities but Autos are a menace in Delhi and Faridabad at least. They drive rashly, park where they want blocking other vehicles and quote ridiculous fares for small distances. I haven't taken an Auto personally in ages but I know people who do it regularly. And refusal to ply is a routine here. I hope Delhi police wakes up and initiates the same drive to get these autos under some discipline.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

This was Mysore Road metro station in the middle of the day. There were nearly 50 people waiting for some form of transport and nearly two dozen autos, hardly a few of which actually moved in the 20 mins I was standing there, waiting for my Ola auto to arrive from 11 mins away (which turned to 15, then 20 due to a traffic jam en route). My home is a stone's throw away from a large mall in the area, so a return fare is nearly guaranteed most times of the day.

This is the case with rickshaws at every metro station in the city. Unless the distance is more than 4-5 kms, they refuse to ply. Another problem is the ride to the metro station from a nearby place(<2 kms). Almost all of them charge 40 rupees with 30 being the bare minimum(Thanks to ola/uber which put a minimum fare of 30 and above). And no meter obviously. Even then many refuse to ply to metro station even if it is on their route. Have heard a couple of them grumble that people are using Autos just for drops till metro and not using them for longer commutes.

A recent trend i am seeing is asking 20 rupees above the stipulated fare on the meter. Happened three times last week. Their justification is that they get more money on the ola/uber for this commute distance and hence they will charge more! Another trend is charging more for luggage. If a single person is travelling with a medium sized suitcase and a bag then they ask for 20 extra!

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by saisree

Don't think the majority in the country(including me) know these rules. Govt and the Driving schools has to educate people on these rules through mass media and in their learners classes respectively.

I agree, it's unlikely that most people would know of these rules/laws.

The thing to note though is that modes such as taxis/autos are the ones which really determine success/failure of public transportation. Last mile connectivity is the real kicker which could make a citizen say "hey, even though the Metro costs me Rs.X and gets me there quickly and comfortably, from the station to my destination, autos are charging me Rs.2X or are outrightly denying my ride. I might as well take my motorcycle all the way."

[DigitalOne]

Originally Posted by saisree

Whether to ride or to sit quietly is his personal choice and no one can deny that freedom from him.

In a perfect free market, I would agree with you. In these cases it is not. First, auto permits were given out in limited numbers by the government. This was the case till Uber/Ola came into the picture. Second, these auto-wallahs still have their pettais (neighbourhoods) where no newbies can come or pick up fares. Given such monopolistic practices, the government is right to punish them if they refuse fares.

[hardilip]

This is much needed in Bangalore. In fact I feel refusing rides are more in bangalore than anywhere else. Most irritating thing than refusing the rides is their behavior, they ask for your location / area the moment you say it, they either don't respond or shows an facial expression (that can't be expressed). I hate travelling in auto especially in bangalore just because of this. Even if it is a bit extra, I prefer cabs just to avoid begging to an auto person for a ride or ridiculous argument on bargain.

[landcruiser123]

This a PR exercise in my view. But I think the police have gone too far. The law should have a provision to put misbehaving auto drivers under some sort of probation and dismiss their license only when things get out of hand.

Originally Posted by saisree

Whether to ride or to sit quietly is his personal choice and no one can deny that freedom from him.

This is the model Uber works on- it links a rider to the driver under no contractual obligation to drive for their service.

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

I think we are a hypocritical bunch.

We want to punish each and every autowala when he refuses to go or asks for Surge pricing during peak hours

I believe that we should play by the rules here. Autos are given a surge pricing if they operate from 10pm to 6am- they are legally allowed to charge 1.5 times the fare.

This is where the Union comes in. They have used the power of the Union to have periodic fare revisions which is fair considering the rise in gas prices and overall living costs. The Union can also request the government to do a surge pricing in certain hours in the cities. What is illogical is how much they demand. They have unreasonable demands at times. I was asked for 100 rupees for a 2.5 km ride near a metro station. I booked on Uber for 70 bucks- I had to wait 10 minutes for the car to arrive.

[pganapathy]

I understand why so many people are upset with autos. Taking an auto in Bangalore is a nightmare. Sky-high fares, refusal to ply, arbitrary demands etc. Bombay is relatively a whole lot better. Most autos are OK to go where a person asks.

However, cancelling a licence because the autos refuse to go somewhere is excessive. I reckon it should only be done if the drivers abuse their power multiple times.

Another question is raised by this issue though. Let us say an auto driver is stopping for a meal and hence refuses to take a fare, should he be punished????????????

[PearlJam]

Have promised myself that I will never support auto drivers in Bangalore. They are worse the the worst of criminals (ok, I got carried away, but still.. )

• If there's no luggage or heavy bags to carry - For distances that take upto 45 mins, I walk
• If there's no luggage or heavy bags to carry - For longer distances I take the bus
• If there's no direct bus, do a combination of bus + walk
• Uberpool is easily available in Bangalore - I've generally never had issues finding one (I don't think the Uberpool was actually banned here - I just took one yesterday too). Peace of mind and no haggling.

It's amazing how much you're willing to do when you don't want to take an auto . It's been a few years since I've been in an Auto.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Have promised myself that I will never support auto drivers in Bangalore.

I avoid autos like the plague too, but have realized that it the lower patronage and the entry of Uber/Ola has not made too much of a difference to auto guys in Bangalore or to their attitude. They know which areas/times of the day will see customers who have no choice and who are willing to pay whatever they demand. So they are happy with just a few overcharged fares a day rather than do several more trips at the metered rate.

[landcruiser123]

Looks like the Bangalore folks are complaining the most, and with good reason.
On a lighter note, watch this from 2:00 to 2:05.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjBDQOH4VpM

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

I believe that we should play by the rules here. Autos are given a surge pricing if they operate from 10pm to 6am- they are legally allowed to charge 1.5 times the fare.

This is where the Union comes in. They have used the power of the Union to have periodic fare revisions which is fair considering the rise in gas prices and overall living costs. The Union can also request the government to do a surge pricing in certain hours in the cities. What is illogical is how much they demand. They have unreasonable demands at times. I was asked for 100 rupees for a 2.5 km ride near a metro station. I booked on Uber for 70 bucks- I had to wait 10 minutes for the car to arrive.

2.5 kms in Mumbai can be upto 300 in some cases for Ola. Mumbai sees upto 4x surge during rainy days.

My point is, while we get pissed for auto drivers asking for more money, we have accepted the same behaviour from Ola and Uber. I routinely pay 2x on my to and fro journey. I have never paid even 1.1 x for Auto travel in Mumbai!

I think Ola and Uber will be the same as autowallahs in the near future and I am happy that Bangalore government has put a cap on the surge. FYI, a majority share of the surge element goes to the corporates and not the drivers is my understanding (atleast for Ola).

[PearlJam]

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

My point is, while we get pissed for auto drivers asking for more money, we have accepted the same behaviour from Ola and Uber

They're not the same. Uber/Ola can be cut some slack because:

1. I can check the fares from the comfort of my home/office and commit only if I agree with the price. I don't have to flag every auto like a madman and haggle with them for the price.
2. There's some assurance (whether true or not) that Uber/Ola has your back.
3. There's no confusion of where to drop you, in case of Uber/Ola, thanks to the pin location. Otherwise, they conveniently assume that you want to be dropped much earlier on the route, and ask for extra money to "stretch" to your destination.
4. Guarantee that payment can be through wallet, no problems with change.

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

They're not the same. Uber/Ola can be cut some slack because

1. I can check the fares from the comfort of my home/office and commit only if I agree with the price - Estimate and actual prices for the trip vary a lot, I book for say 250 rupees and the traffic is worse than anticipated, the trip is charged at around 350. So the commit to a price doesnt really work even with ola and uber.
2. I don't have to flag every auto like a madman and haggle with them for the price. - The cab search nowadays takes atleast 5 mins or more during peak hours
3. There's some assurance (whether true or not) that Uber/Ola has your back - What do you mean by Ola and Uber has your back? In what scenario do they have your back? They will not even care about a customer complaint unless its a PR issue on social media for them. Uber is better in my view, Ola is a Indian Lala company.
4. There's no confusion of where to drop you, in case of Uber/Ola, thanks to the pin location. Otherwise, they conveniently assume that you want to be dropped much earlier on the route, and ask for extra money to "stretch" to your destination. - Doesnt apply in Mumbai, as rickshaws ply by the meter. Bangalore I completely agree
5. Guarantee that payment can be through wallet, no problems with change.
   - Real challenge here I agree, but again, Mumbau is much better where the autowalas make an effort and dont drive off with your 100 rs note for a 70 rs fare

I completely understand the issue Bangalore audience has with autowalas, I am saying that Mumbai autowalas are much better. The only reason I travel by Ola and Uber is pollution and back comfort, otherwise any mumbaikar will prefer a Auto anyday over Uber and Ola.

[mayankk]

I haven't used an auto in Delhi since 2003-4, and its pathetic to see that nothing has changed.
I remember having to get a no from 3-4 autos outside of the coffee home in RKPuram before one agreed to take me to college. "Imaan-dharam", as we used to say was missing in these guys. A college guy, who has maybe 50 bucks in his pockets, and they were still willing to gyp me with the double the fare, just because they could.
I dreaded the times when there used to be just one auto. It was a sinking feeling that the day's canteen money is going into the commute. That is only if he agreed to take me in the first place. Or that it was going to a long walk to the bus stand.

I think its just desserts for these guys. They were, and apparently still continue to be leeches.
PS: an off duty auto would tell you he was off duty, or would have meter down. The real pissants are the ones who refuse a journey either because the destination did not suit them, or begin negotiating the rates. Lovely way to start your day, aint it?

I say implement this across India.

[Asish_VK]

Send those police to Bangalore fast !

I never bother to ask an auto rikshaw for a ride anymore. Either they will simply deny or quote an exorbitant rate

I wish they have to do the same to Ola/Uber drivers too.

During recent visit to pune, I have experienced ola/uber drivers calling you to ask for the price showing in the app.
Once they know the price, they either deny the trip or ask rider to cancel the trip and pay the amount shown on app to them directly (to save the commirssion)

Some even tried to convice me that their phone got hang / battery is over so that trip cannot be started, so i can pay them the amount shown in my ola/uber app (I fell for first time and even gave the driver 20Rs as goodwill then cancelled the ride since bill was mandatory for me to claim it from office)

I almost missed a flight due to this booking & cancelling saga