Travelling from Chennai to Coimbatore in sleeper class of an express train will cost ₹ 315. However, travelling 10 km from the Coimbatore Railway Station in an autorickshaw might cost the same amount or perhaps more, thanks to the arbitrary fares demanded by the drivers.
The problem of excess fares is nearly three decades old, according to K. Kathirmathiyon, Secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC). Pointing out the lack of a “collective voice” from the public, he said, “even if the consumers are powerful, if they are unorganised, they will be taken for a ride.”
While autorickshaw drivers justify their demand for excess fare to steep and frequent increase in fuel prices, official machinery blames it on the culture of non-compliance among the autorickshaw drivers who take shelter under trade union banners.
As many as 8,450 autorickshaws run with permits in Coimbatore.
In 2013, the State Government fixed a minimum fare of ₹ 25 for the first 1.8 km and ₹ 12 for each additional km. The autorickshaw unions in Coimbatore then termed the prices unviable as they claimed that the fare for a big city like Chennai cannot be applicable to a relatively smaller city like Coimbatore.
The Hindu reported on December 15, 2013 that the CITU-affiliated Coimbatore District Autorickshaw Workers Union led by district general secretary P.K. Sukumaran convened and decided to run the autorickshaw with the meter fares decided by the unions and demanded a minimum fare of ₹ 30 and ₹15 for every additional km. Nevertheless, in 2014, the State government published a gazette notification with the earlier fare of ₹ 25 as the minimum charge and ₹ 12 for every additional km, much to the chagrin of the unions.
Mr. Sukumaran told The Hindu that after nearly five years, these fares fixed by the government does not reflect the present price rise and the daily expenses of the drivers. He explained that in a day, an autorickshaw driver spends nearly ₹ 400 on fuel, ₹ 200 on rent for the autorickshaw and ₹ 100 on food. “Auto drivers ask for extra amount because the government has not fixed the fares properly,” he said.
Autorickshaw aggregators
With the blame game continuing on one side with no solution in sight, plying by meters became a movement and concept among a fringe group of autorickshaws drivers. This led to the birth of auto aggregators namely Makkal Auto, Namma Auto, City Auto and Meter Auto by drivers who were willing to ply by the Government fixed fare and garner more patronage to ensure sustainability and viability. Then came the national-level established players such as Uber and Ola Auto.
T. Selvaraj, Managing Director of Makkal Auto, said the minimum fare of ₹ 25 and ₹ 12 for every additional km is sufficient. “When services are offered at a reasonable cost, the public is ready to use the services. When the number of trips are high, the drivers are ready to drive for a low fare,” he said.
A senior official from the Regional Transport Office (RTO), on conditions of anonymity, said that the RTO officials have been regularly acting on the complaints regarding non-compliance of autorickshaws to the meter fares. It may be noted that the penalty imposed on drivers for non-functioning meters or non-compliance to meter fare is ₹ 500.
Mr. Kathirmathiyon, however, paints a bleak picture of the future of autorickshaws in the city owing to their high fares. “We [the CCC] have stopped being aggressive [on this issue] because autorickshaws will have its natural death,” he said, adding that the drivers must be fair and create confidence among the public to sustain and increase their viability as a public mode of transport.