Cops to upload auto fares on KP Bondhu app to stop fleecing

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Police is planning to display autorickshaw fare charts of routes across the city on its e-services platform - the Bondhu app and portal - to spare commuters from extortionate rates, a common and long-standing grouse.

Lalbazar instructed traffic guards last Friday to compile and update a list of auto routes and fares across the city at the earliest.

Commuters have, for a long while now, been complaining about being regularly overcharged by auto drivers - either by outright asking for more, or by "route splicing", which forces them to pay more by making them take several shorter routes, instead of travelling terminus-to-terminus.

If the cops upload "official" fares on their portal, such unscrupulous practices may become difficult, senior officers felt. "Once we have the list ready, we will display it on our common services platforms for easy access by commuters," said an officer.

"Every evening, autos that clearly have 'Gariahat-to-Behala' written on them refuse to ply the entire route," said Anindita Das, who regularly depends on autos to travel between home (Behala Parnasree) and the Kalighat Metro station.

"The drivers break down the route into four parts: Gariahat to Rashbehari at Rs 11; Rashbehari to Chetla or New Alipore at Rs 15; New Alipore to Taratala at Rs 10 and Taratala yto Behala at Rs 10."

Had the autos plied terminus-to-terminus on the route, the fare would have been Rs 30. But, because of route splicing, a Gariahat-Behala commuter has to pay of Rs 46, Rs 32 extra if one takes the ride twice each day, as Das does.

Route-shortening is also a major problem on routes, like Rabindra Sarobar Metro-Jadavpur 8B, where the trip gets broken into three — with stops at South City mall and Jadavpur PS; and on the Golpark-Garia route, which gets broken into Golpark-Jadavpur 8B, Jadavpur 8B-Baghajatin and Baghajatin-Garia.

Gourab Dutta, who takes an auto to Baguiati from Ultadanga on his way home, said it’s a daily hassle where auto drivers often demand double the usual fare. On a number of days, the drivers say they will ply only on reserve.

The Bondhu Kolkata Po-lice Citizen App has provisions to report cyber crimes, traffic violations and missing articles, apart from a singletouch option for emergency police help.

The app also allows one to download FIRs and postmortem reports, apartfrom checking status reports of lost mobiles, traffic challans, passport inquiry and police clearance certificates. An officer said cops want to make it easier for citizens to lodge complaints on overchar-ging and route reduction on the app.