Auto kiosks planned to check high fares, ensure better service

In an attempt to streamline public transport after the recent gangrape of a paramedic student aboard a moving bus, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said special kiosks for autorickshaws would be set up across the city.

This move comes in light of several complaints of autorickshaw drivers refusing to ply passengers or demanding exorbitant fares. "We will set up kiosks for autos in the city,'' Dikshit said.

These auto kiosks will function apart from the pre-paid auto services to ensure that people do not have to wait endlessly for an autorickshaw.

The Transport department has started a drive to check the practise of drivers refusing to ply passengers and other violations. "The drive began some days ago and we have issued challans to 2,331 autorickshaws so far," a Transport official said.

Currently, there are over 60,000 three-wheeler scooter rickshaws (TSRs) operating in the city. Of this, over 10,000 have new permits and come with GPS.

According to sources in the Transport department, the maximum number of complaints received through the complaint cell is about TSRs. The Delhi traffic police has issued around 1.5 lakh challans to autorickshaws in 2012. Of this, 356 were issued for misbehaviour and overcharging.

"A meeting was also held with auto unions regarding fare hike. We told them that the fares would be increased only if they improved their services,'' a Transport official said.

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