City autodrivers accused of overcharging

INDORE: Indoreans feel that they are being fleeced by the autorickshaw drivers by overcharging them even as installing fare metres on the autos and charging fare as per the metre rate is mandatory. Most of the passengers with whom the TOI spoke to said that the auto drivers outright refuse to ply with the fare metre on and charge a hefty amount as fare.
"We are being overcharged, especially those who are new to the city are at the receiving end," says Radha Sharma, a professional adding that the auto drivers never go by the fare metre in the city. Every time, they make excuses that the metres are not functioning.
Prafull Josh, a traffic expert says, "Auto drivers in Indore are setting their terms and don't use metres. Due to the lack of an effective administrative control on the erring drivers, they feel free to drive on their own terms. There are no proper broad-gauge booth in the city and it creates problem for the passengers, who are new to the city."
Anurag Pandery, a student says, "People in the city are also irresponsible and don't ask to go by metres. If they refuse to travel without metres, it will end the trend. People prefer to set the fare through bargaining instead of going by metres considering it as expensive."
Rashmi Naswa, a bank employee, says," Auto drivers often try to fool the people, who are new to the city and inflate the fares. People who know the rates and who are regularly travelling in autos cannot be fooled but going by meters should be strictly followed as commuters' need is slowly increasing the auto drivers' greed."
Anushree Mitra, another bank employee, says, "Auto drivers in Indore often fix the rates at their will and the passengers are forced to travel without meters as they have no other option. For the same distance, one can see that two drivers quote different fares."
Rajeev Thada, a student, says," People think petrol prices are increasing and they hire autos, which are run on CNG but they don't go by meters and even if they go the meters are not running and they are over charging and if you say you will complaint against them they will be ready to go on rates you say."
Shyam Raghuvanshi, an auto driver says, "The commuters don't go by metre in Indore as they feel the fare metre rates are higher and they enter into a bargaining to set fare before hiring. Many autos are yet to be installed with new meters which have revised rates and thus we also don't go by meters."
Sunil Thakur, another auto driver says," People don't usually ask to go by metre and they fix the fares in advance and thus we don't go by metres. They feel the metre charges are higher."
Pradeep Singh Chauhan, DSP-traffic, says," We do inspect the fare metre of the autos during checking and impose fine if the metres are not functioning. Again, the erring auto drivers are penalized if caught without metres."