Delhi govt discontinues ‘road try test’ for auto meter recalibration
On June 18, the Delhi government, through a notification, had increased auto-rickshaw fares by 18.75%, but auto drivers have been charging the new rates only by manually calculating the journey fares on the spot as their meters are yet to be recalibrated.
delhi Updated: Aug 08, 2019 01:57 IST
The Delhi government, having faced delays in recalibrating auto-rickshaw meters, on Wednesday said it had decided to discontinue the practice of ‘road try test’ to expedite the process.
A ‘road try test’ includes driving an auto on a 1km stretch to see if the new meter reading is being properly reflected.
On June 18, the Delhi government, through a notification, had increased auto-rickshaw fares by 18.75%, but auto drivers have been charging the new rates only by manually calculating the journey fares on the spot as their meters are yet to be recalibrated. The reason for the delay, according to government officials, is that the testing units are fewer in comparison to the 95,000 registered auto-rickshaws in the city that need recalibration.
On Wednesday, Imran Hussain, the minister of Delhi’s legal metrology department said as per directions of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the practice of ‘road try test’ of auto fare metres after recalibration, has been discontinued.
He said recalibration of meters will “shortly” begin. The old auto metres need to be recalibrated through a software upgradation for charing revised rates of fare.
Hussain said an advisory has been issued to the manufacturers, repairers and dealers of auto rickshaw fare metres for not charging more than Rs 400 per meter plus the applicable GST, for undertaking software upgradation work.
Earlier, after recalibration and initial verification by Weights and Measures department (now renamed Legal Metrology) in its laboratory at Wazirpur, the auto rickshaw drivers had to go for the ‘road try test’ at Najafgarh.
At the request of auto drivers, the department has decided to discontinue road try test which was proving to be inconvenient to them. Now, verification certificates will be issued after simulated road test method in the department’s lab, he said.
The tests will be conducted at Taxi Meter Unit of Legal Metrology department located at Wazirpur Industrial Area.
Auto driver Rupak Kumar said he and other drivers who stand outside Pragati Maidan Metro station have started using a chart to show customers the new rates. “Passengers don’t believe us otherwise. Sometimes a few of them have even accused me of overcharging them when we charged them as per the new fares,” he said.
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First Published: Aug 07, 2019 22:17 IST