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-   -   The Cheating Auto Drivers of Bangalore. Be careful even with digital meters! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/37502-cheating-auto-drivers-bangalore-careful-even-digital-meters-12.html)

Here it is the new auto rickshaw fare card for Bangalore which I found on the net at mybangalore.com.

Auto fares are increased promptly but there are thousands of ricks with a meter which is in bad condition. this way we pay more which is as per the norms and on that bare the extra amount thanks to the tampered/bad meter!

boycotting is the best solution!

One thing I've noticed among many people who avail the services of auto-wallahs is that they don't really care if they have to spend 10 or 20 or 40 more than the rate-on-meter. What really bothers them is that no one is willing to take them to their destination. All of them just nod and putter off.

There is one ingenious way to combat this behaviour. :D

The moment they decline, take out your phone in a jiffy and pretend that you're taking a picture of the Auto and its reg-number. And then quickly mutter: "papar alli aakthini boss" (I'll put it in the newspaper)

More often than not, they WILL agree to ferry you, out of sheer fright of being found in the next Daily. :D

This tactic will work whatever the situation. Try it out. It has worked for me on a number of occasions.

ALL,

This incident happened today morning. I along with my family ( Myself, my wife and kid, My sister and 2 kids ) were coming from Mumbai to Bangalore by train. We got down at Bangalore (E) railway station. We wanted to go to Kagadaspuara Main road which is approximately 8-9 KM from the station. We wanted to hire two autos as there were no cabs available and we had some luggage. As usual the auto guys were asking 300 t0 400 Rs per auto. We came out to the main road and asked one auto guy. He agreed to come as per meter charge + 40 Rs extra. So another fellow also joined and we had two autos. My wife and kids sat in one auto and my self and luggage kept in one auto.

Now my auto driver didn't start the the meter ( electronic ) and when I asked, he told me that the other fellow has already put the meter. I insisted him to put the meter and then only he put the meter.

The best part is that these things are happening under the nose of the traffic inspector standing there. So now you know...

My auto fellow followed the other driver and we reached NGF junction. Suddenly my auto's meter stopped working. The meter reading was 4.1 Km and the fare was 40 Rs at that point.

I told this to the auto driver and he said some thing happened to the meter.

From this point to my house is at the max 4 KM more and I thought the charge will be 80+ 40 Rs extra per auto.

Once we reached the apartment, the other guy came and told me that 350 Rs fare per auto.

Suddenly I noticed a switch in the front part of My auto's Meter. I asked him what happened to the meter. He said something happened. I asked him to start the auto and I switched on the meter button and it started working.

I told him I am not going to give any extra money as both of them were trying to cheat us.

Best part is that by hearing the noise people from the apartment peeping through their balcony and no one came to support me and standing there like watching IPL.

So whom should I blame?.. The auto guys who are doing the manipulation, the traffic police who is just standing as a statue in front these guys or people who are suffering these kind of cheating but not ready to come out and support the people who are opposing these activities...


I feel people are the main culprit who doesn't come united and oppose these kind of activities or support people who are standing against them. I was expecting some support from them.

Finally I settled for 300 and I came to my home.

I am seriously thinking about the future of country and its spineless people.

Prajeesh

Reminds me of this. Robert Clive, founder of British empire wrote this to his sister after battle of Plassey (hope I can remember correctly)

" I was leading the victory march. Thousands of Indians lined on either side of the road and rooftops looking at us in wonder and awe. If only each of them had picked up a stone and thrown at us, we would have been routed"

Prajeesh, you said there was a traffic cop standing nearby. What stopped you from approaching him and complaining about the malpractice?

If he did not bother to help all you had to do was make note of his name and then either send an sms for auto complaints to BTP or lodge a complaint via fb on the BTP site or write a letter to the commissioner regarding this incident.

Ask me, it works. it definitely does. ;)

On multiple instances auto drivers have turned away and driven off if the destination was unfavorable for them or if i did not agree to anything over and above the meter charge. All i did was request the traffic cop nearby to help and they have helped by stopping an auto and firmly telling him to go by the meter only. I know it is frustrating but there is a solution.

Thinking about the country's future and worrying about it without doing anything is no use, my friend. Yes, i agree the value system, honesty, credibility etc. in our country sucks but if you want things to change, make some noise. Crying babies get the milk ;)

Trust me, before i opened this thread i had a inkling that this is in Bangalore. Autowalas in BLR in my opinion are getting worse day by day. I try to avoid auto as much as possible, Volvo comes to the rescue most of the times.

Alternatively have couple of call taxis number saved on your mobile and call them for a pickup once you land (I have seen getting taxi to pick you up from Railway Station is also a problem these days).

Money wise, both come to almost similar, but it saves you from mental agony, which i take great pains to avoid.

Not sure if you have noted down the number, if yes lodging a complaint with traffic police will help (Not to get your money back, but to give them some hard time so as they think twice before repeating this feat).

In the rare cases when i have taken an auto and they refusing to go, getting in touch with a cop standing close by helps as @n_aditya said. Next time it might be worth a try.

+1 to that!

What you should have done Prajeesh was asked him to drive straight to the nearest police station and he would have come down to 50% of what he was actually asking for. Auto drivers, although had-in-glove with some duty cops around the majestic area, hesitate to walk into police stations.

I would often get into these kind of situations when I was new in Bangalore (in 2007), but with time, I have learnt a few lessons.

My two cents about taking an rick in Bangalore:

• First tell the guy an (almost) exact place where you want to be dropped. If you don't know much about the area which you are going, get an idea from relatives/friends
• Ask him whether the meter is updated to the new fares. If not, ask him whether he has the new fare-chart handy.
• Never trust an analog meter! If you are getting into an auto with an analog meter, tell him that you are not ready to pay a penny more than the fare you pay when you regularly travel that route. I don't say that electronic meters can't be rigged, but they atleast cost more to be rigged.
• If you are travelling to an unknown area through an unknown route, get an idea of the approximate distance that you will be travelling using your smartphone (if you have one) or atleast one of your friends would definitely have an idea. Using this distance information, calculate the approx fare. You should only be paying +/- Rs.10 given the information you already have.
• Keep an eye on the auto-drivers hands if possible. These guys install what is called as "Ghoda" (have seen this with analog meters) and at the press of that switch your meter jumps buy a rupee or two or more depending on how much greedy the driver is :D
• Finally, if you are travelling alone, try to strike a conversation with the driver and get friendly. I usually speak about whether, inflation, traffic and pollution in Bangalore and all such things). Try and act like a common man and speak about how common man's life is affected by the inflation, IT/BT et al.

Believe me, all these have worked and I always round the amount to the nearest 10 while paying stupid:

Auto drivers share the exact same genetic structure all over India. Its not only Bangalore where auto drivers are a menace. I was residing in Chennai for a few years and even till date auto's have no meters in chennai. There is no rate fixed for a certain distance. It's all fixed between the customer and the auto driver. How does the customer know how much to quote or agree upon? By word of mouth from the social circle. I was fleeced in Mumbai, where auto drivers are supposedly honest. So please lets not focus on the city but on the bigger issue - the auto driver :)

Auto drivers' modus operandi is simple:
1. Quote exorbitant fare when one approaches them.
2. Analyse the response. If he is an outsider, continue with fleecing.
3. If he is a local and softspoken, try more to fleece him.
4. If he is tough, either escape or take him.

I've been in Bangalore for nearly 9 years, but my Kannada is still so Mangalorean (read, totally different accent) that I still have to argue with auto drivers. This year I've travelled only once by auto, and I managed to drag the auto driver to a police constable nearby after he demanded 50 rs extra after reaching the destination.

The all bargaining was happening in front of a Traffic Inspector. Not in front of a normal traffic police.

I was trying to do something by refusing to pay extra penny and I am referring to people standing like dump when I argue for justice. When people travel with their family and kids, it is very scary to meddle with these kind of people.


It is not possible to take the guy to police station as I am not aware of the near by police station. Also they won't be ready to do the same

As I said, I catch hold of his cheating having extra switch to turn off the meter and I was arguing abt that.

Here the issue is that people doesn't resist the deeds of these people or even they won't raise their voice. Unless people awake , nothing will change.

Many times I notice the numbers , I take pictures of the vehicle and post them. No response from concerned people.

I agree with you. Arguments with these auto drivers is frustrating no doubt, while in the company of family members or not. So if the cop did not react, just note down the regn. no. of the vehicle and send an sms as per below:



Source.

BTP regularly publishes data on no. of complaints received and action taken such as license/permit cancellations by RTO, penalties levied, etc. This is published on the BTP page on facebook.

Unfortunate that you had to go through that.
People are usually passive everywhere, except when it is directly affecting them.

I have been refused by a couple of auto drivers when my car was not yet delivered. I just used this standard android application called "Auto Complaint Bangalore" available on the market. It is very simple to use. Both times, i got a reply from the Traffic commissioner and the BTP desk confirming that they are raising a violation on the auto based on my complaint.

Bangalore East station is quite famous for cheating auto wallahs. I would never suggest anyone to hire auto from Bangalore East station.

Although it is near from Bangalore East station to reach my home in C.V.Raman Nagar, i prefer to go further to Bangalore Cantt. station and take pre-paid auto which usually works well and a better bet obviously. If there are more luggages or more people even its better to take the Taxi. But ensure, before boarding the taxi, look for the fare chart they have and only if it is reasonable rate to your destination, hire the taxi.

Also, the advantage in Bangalore Cantt. station is that there is a traffic police who regulates each passenger & pre-paid auto. (after 5 am in the morning though), so atleast you can be sure that you pay a fixed price.

Beyond that, if the driver demands more money, just note down the auto number and raise the complaint with BTP. It works, and i have tried few times.

OT : Even the BBMP 24/7 Call centre to raise civic complaints works really great. They even give a tracking complaint number, send you the SMS with details and also provide the contact details of the person who will be working on the issue. The final good thing is, sometimes they call up and confirm whether the issue is really resolved or not. I've complained multiple times for pot-holed roads and i've seen atleast within a week some action is taken. In my case, they filled the pot holes or relaid the road. Surprising from a govt. agency in india, although its their duty !

-Ravi

Caught a rickshaw at Alliance francaise today, vasanthnagar Bangalore. Told him Benson town. Very close barely 1.4 Km's from boarding point. Latest trick employed by auto guy is this. Meter on and I just crossed Cantonment underpass and auto switches off and driver pulls over. I enquire and he says gas over. Can't go. Minimum fare Rs. XX

I calmly got down and asked him in the local language hosdaag bandideera ??


The usual talk of minimum is applicable and blah blah. I told him sit with me in another auto & we can debate at JC nagar police station. Barely 300 meter's into the journey and his meter was clicking away. This being a definite con job i was ready for any eventuality.He backed off and i had a pleasant walk half a kilometer under the shady trees to my house.

I noticed he'd retrofitted something under his seat for auto cut off and it makes the passenger feel as if the auto is choking without gas/fuel. Then this is followed up with minimum fare. The tricks these bangalore auto guys do!:Frustrati:Frustrati