Team-BHP - MH 02 vs MH 03 Autorickshaws

In the past Month or so I have heard what I initially though was most preposterous, but now I think there seems to be at least a grain of truth in it.

Three separate people told me not to take MH 03 autorickshaw as their meters were tampered with, initially I thought they were crazy. I even searched TBHP but couldn't find a thread about it ( sufficient for me to think this is bunk).

So I put the theory to the test.

Feb 4 : Auto from Andheri station to Hiranandani MH 02 - Rs 60

Feb 5 : Auto from Seepz to Hiranandani MH 03 - Rs 50.

Please let us know if you have heard / experienced anything similar.

I have heard similar stuff. But the trips you mention are not comparable. The distances are different and may not suggest any great difference.

However, I remember reading in newsprint a couple of years ago, which seemed to imply that these differences were valid.

MH-02 is the Andheri RTO which is supposedly very rigorous in its meter testings while
MH-03 is the Ghatkopar RTO where these fixes can be managed.

In any case if you do pass by Dharavi, you will see many autos there and signboards with "Meter repairing" rife all over.

All MH03 meters are tampered excluding the new digital ones, however the digital meters will soon have a work around. (the meter generally receives pulses from the ECU - as fitted in cabs & taxis)

MH02 is far far more feasible, for example, if I take an MH02 auto from Hiranandani Powai to Suman Nagar in Chembur it costs me Rs. 72, with an MH03 the costs have never been below Rs. 83-89.

Additionally coming home late I take a cab from South Bombay to Powai, surprisingly the cost is equivalent or marginally more than a Taxi from Churchgate to Chembur and then taking an auto.

ALL autos at night with MH03 plates have hyper tampered meters, (read as over over tampered)
Once I took an auto within Hiranandani (with luggage)for the minimum fare distance and the meter showed 11 rupees at the end of the journey, then I started laughing at the auto guy, he sheepishly took the minimum fare.

Always argue and say that MH02 meters are not tampered.

Again, always take an MH02 auto even if you have to let 4-5 autos pass.

Cheers

Meter tampering is rife among the autos. I used to travel from Malad station to the Movie Time signal daily. I also kept a diary in which I wrote the auto number and the meter reading. The difference between the various meter readings was upto 4. The lowest being Rs. 11 and the highest being Rs. 15. My timings were more or less the same and the traffic situation didn't vary significantly.

I suggest if you suspect foul play, note down the auto's number, license number/name and badge number of the driver, time, starting and destination place and the meter reading. Lodge a complaint to the RTO. I don't know if they will act, but at least you will have done your bit. And if the auto driver is really playing foul, he may back off.