[silversteed]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

The only road I have found clogging way too much in Chennai off late has got to be Nelson Manickam Road. The new diversion near Ampa mall is really a pain to traverse during peak hours, I sincerely hope that Metro work is wrapped up soon at least at this section to ease things.

Nelson Manickam road is busy at any time of the day. Even at the dead of the night you'll find a queue of vehicles at the Choolaimedu signal (but it clears up fast, unlike day time).

Not sure to call it fortunate or unfortunate, I moved from MADras to BANG-galore before the metro construction began in full swing, so I didn't have to worry about any diversions at least on Nungambakkam-Aminjikarai area. How is it these days? Did they route traffic towards Anna Arch side through the road beside the fuel station opposite to Ampa mall?

[saadat1992]

Originally Posted by silversteed

Nelson Manickam road

How is it these days? Did they route traffic towards Anna Arch side through the road beside the fuel station opposite to Ampa mall?

Yup. It has been diverted and my god! It only made the traffic worse! The whole stretch gets clogged during peak hours and me being from Nelson Manickam road, avoid it during the peak hours and i use the by lanes to get to Anna Nagar! I dont think so the flyover work will be over anytime soon.
The traffic chokes up especially near that petrol bunk where those share autos stop near that corner to drop off the passengers regardless of the traffic behind them.

[Warwithwheels]

Looks like the recent Auto fare regulation is keeping the cops on their toes

[Mudhalaipatti]

Has anyone experienced the new auto rates ? I have hardly seen any autos in and around Tambaram area plying with their meters on.

[supremeBaleno]

^^^
Yes, experienced it yesterday morning. Landed at Central in the morning and since it is drizzling lightly, abandon the usual plan to walk over to Park station to catch the electric train to Nungambakkam and instead hail an auto. I tell him the destination and from habit ask "Evlavu ?" // "How much?" in English.

To my utter surprise, he says, "Saar, as per meter. Please get in" and turns on the meter. Once I am seated, he says, "The RTO guys / cops are nearby and you are asking me "How much?". If they heard it, would be a big problem for me. As it is the cops are worried that they are not getting enough defaulters to penalise"

Along the way home, I keep checking the meter and it is working like clockwork - 1st 1.8kms for Rs25 and then Rs12 for every subsequent km. I reach my place and the meter is showing a few bucks less than 100 for the ~8km distance, which is exactly as per the new fare. Give him another 15 bucks just for the joy of seeing an untampered auto-meter in action in Chennai - I think the last time I saw a meter running in Chennai was sometime in the mid-90s.

And to think that these guys used to charge anything between 120 to 200 for this distance - depending on time-of-day, weather, bus-strike etc.
Thanks to all the folks including ToI for getting the auto-meters back in action in Chennai !!!

@Warwithwheels, what is the cop doing ? Kicking the auto ?

[VW2010]

Give him another 15 bucks just for the joy of seeing an untampered auto-meter in action in Chennai

Potentially this is what would have started the meter running away from Chennai. I ensure i am not paying anything more than the meter. I believe we should not give something extra because they are following meters. Just my POV

[iamswift]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

Has anyone experienced the new auto rates ? I have hardly seen any autos in and around Tambaram area plying with their meters on.

Technically the new auto rates are for autos plying in corporation limits only.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by VW2010

I believe we should not give something extra because they are following meters. Just my POV

I agree in principle, but we do tip in so many places if we are pleased, so why not here!

Some months back I hailed an auto in front of my office in Guindy, to go to T'Nagar. I was preoccupied with some matter and did not discuss the fare. After crossing Saidapet I got chatting with the driver as he looked pretty composed and decent, in contrast to many auto drivers we usually see.

Turns out he was working as a driver in Dubai for many years, now returned for good. He had also applied for a loan to buy an Innova, which he intended to drive himself on contract. The auto was his and was being hired out to other drivers by his family, but now that he was here, he was driving it while he awaited delivery of the Innova!

He said if an auto is owner driven, and plies for 12 hours a day (8 AM to 8 PM), without charging a single paisa extra, the owner/driver will make Rs 1000.00 a day easily!

After reaching my destination I asked how much and he said "please give me whatever you think is fair for the distance". Having travelled 5 KM, I gave him Rs 75.00 which he accepted without comment. I had only about half an hours work there and asked whether he will wait. Instead he gave me his mobile number and asked me to call him after my work was over, saying he will be in the vicinity and will come to me when when called, but will pick up a more lucrative fare if one appeared before I returned.

But when I called he came to pick me up, and accepted the same fare for returning to Guindy. He also requested me to utilize his Innova, once he took delivery!

[VW2010]

I agree in principle, but we do tip in so many places if we are pleased, so why not here!

The only place i tip is the guys in the parking lot of small restaurants and hotels. I just tip because i feel bad and i know they hardly make anything watching cars park and reverse and they are too old to do any other job.

To me chennai auto's do not deserve anything over the meter. They have earned enough tip not having a meter all this while and that should serve them good.

Let them learn to return change for a "change". And i will be first to say tipping is an individual choice and no one has any rights to say anything about it and i respect that.

In this case, specially for chennai auto drivers, i will never tip. On that note do anyone tip at restaurants who charge heavily as service tax and service charge

[anachronix]

Totally agree with VW2010, the Chennai Autos have earned enough. 150 bucks for Taramani to Thiruvanmayur, I was forced to pay so much for the so little distance.

Dont tip them for using the meter and build another trend.

Nothing technical, the revised auto fares is for all autos plying in TN.

Originally Posted by iamswift

Technically the new auto rates are for autos plying in corporation limits only.

[Gansan]

Autos in the suburbs still run without meter, at least within the suburbs.

For instance in my place (Chromepet), most of their run will be from the railway station to one of the many "nagars" in and around the place. Which will be within a radius of a couple or three KM. So they will permanently run on minimum fare, if they engage meters.

They usually pick up 4 passengers and charge Rs 10.00 each. Corollary is, if you as a family take the auto, pay Rs 40.00 or leave it!

[Reisender]

Originally Posted by Mudhalaipatti

Has anyone experienced the new auto rates ? I have hardly seen any autos in and around Tambaram area plying with their meters on.

Mr.Mudhalaipatti - Where do you put up in Tambaram area. Did you notice that most of them do not have a meter itself in the first place ?

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Potentially this is what would have started the meter running away from Chennai.

I agree that these guys have been over-charging us over the last many years/decades and thus do not require any tips. But it is not tipping that did away the meters in Chennai. If at all something will again drive away meters, it would be the "Evalavu?" question I asked at the start. Instead I should have just told the destination and jumped in asking him to put on the meter. But we are so conditioned to decades of bargaining with these guys that without even our knowing it, we will ask them how much, and then bargain. Hopefully this will change. Atleast I will try to change.

And quite some auto-guys have embraced the auto-meters today, which is not because they like the new rates (much less than what they were charging earlier), but a simple demand-supply equation. At one time, when PTC buses were the only option, these guys charged at will. Then came the rickety share-autos and then the Tata share-autos and these guys saw their income reduce drastically. Plus many people were so pissed off by the rates they charge that they avoided autos altogether - I was one who ditched them and instead used the electric trains for my weekly Central trips&back. So they were pretty desperate and thus many use the meter because now they see folks return to using autos with the meter back.

[ani_meher]

Can someone suggest a good safe radio taxi service in Chennai? I am coming there at midnight 1am by flight, and would need a safe transport to IIT Chennai. Which operator should I call?

[VW2010]

Can someone suggest a good safe radio taxi service in Chennai? I am coming there at midnight 1am by flight, and would need a safe transport to IIT Chennai. Which operator should I call?

Any one of airpot taxi is safe but charge little high. Personally would avoid auto at that time of the night.

Just take the pre-paid taxi and would cost around 400 is my guess.