Bengaluru: Former auto driver develops fare meter for shared rides

BENGALURU: A former autorickshaw driver has come up with a new meter that enables shared rides by giving separate fares for individual passengers. "Many city auto drivers are struggling after the entry of app-based cabs and autos. It's not feasible for them to reduce rates. The simple solution is to allow shared autos. It will be a win-win situation for both drivers and passengers," said A Shanmugam, 48, who is behind the initiative.
When LPG autos were launched in Bengaluru in early 2000, Shanmugam operated a retro-fitment centre to convert two-stroke autos to run on LPG. But he left the job later due to health issues. He was also an office-bearer at Adarsh Auto Rickshaw Drivers' Union.
He is now working in a cable harness manufacturing unit at Electronics City.
"While three passengers can travel in an auto, the total fare of the distance travelled can be divided among them. It will be cheaper for individual passengers and drivers will also get regular income. I was searching for a digital meter for shared autos, but it wasn't available in the market. So I started working on three separate display screens of a fare meter," said Shanmugam, who studied till class 10.
"My digital meter will show fares for each passenger based on the distance they travel, and it will automatically divide the total amount," he said. Shanmugam spent more than Rs 20,000 to develop the meter. He said his daughter and her colleagues who work in an MNC helped programme the meter.
"Autorickshaw unions can install it only after getting approval from the state legal metrology, transport department and other authorities," he said. He suggests introducing shared autos on routes like MG Road-Shivajinagar and Commercial Street and Byappanahalli-CV Raman Nagar on a pilot basis.