Authorities know about menace of share autos but don’t act: Students, office-goers
Both groups have said that the authorities know everything about the flouting of rules by share auto drivers but do not want to act. Helpless due to insufficient BEST buses from Kurla West, the commuters are forced to stand in long queues and are at the mercy of share auto drivers
Mumbai: Office-goers and students from Bandra and Kurla have complained that commuting to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) or to the University of Mumbai’s Kalina campus is a nightmare especially if one wants to take an autorickshaw from Bandra East or Kurla West railway stations.
Post graduate students, who commute on Central Railway, have shared with Hindustan Times their harrowing experience of catching an auto from Kurla West railway station to the university.
Both groups have said that the authorities know everything about the flouting of rules by share auto drivers but do not want to act. Helpless due to insufficient BEST buses from Kurla West, the commuters are forced to stand in long queues and are at the mercy of share auto drivers.
Akbar Merchant, a media professional who commutes to BKC, said that getting a metered auto from Kurla West is a near impossible task, and autos only operate via shared seats despite the constant presence of traffic police.
“From Bharat Cinema Junction to the Family Court in Bandra East, they charge as per demand and availability of autos. Sometimes ₹30, sometimes ₹50, one can never know,” said Merchant.
“They even ferry extra passengers. To avoid getting caught by traffic police, any passenger sitting on the front seat is asked to get down at a traffic signal, walk across the signal and get back in the front seat,” he added.
Merchant said that the existing buses to Kurla are mostly overcrowded. “BEST undertaking has removed most of the double-decker buses that used to go packed in peak hours. Now, only private contractor buses operate, and they only go up to Kurla depot instead of the railway station to save time. This forces people to walk for another 10 minutes to the station.” he added.
Similarly, travelling from Bandra railway station to BKC is also an ordeal. The commuters said there is no indication of fares put up outside Bandra (E) station.
Reema Shah, who works for a multinational company in BKC, said, “During the peak hours, they charge ₹30-40 per seat which is almost the same as what one would pay in a regular metered rickshaw.
“With the bus strike on, these share auto drivers are milking the passengers further by seating more than allowed.
“Why can’t the RTOs (Regional Transport Office) and traffic police intervene and at least put up a fare indicator chart which is visible to all?” asked Shah.
At the exit of Bandra station, auto rickshaws have blocked the road and footpath. Drivers stand at the end of foot over bridge, trying to coax passengers into traveling in their autos, thereby blocking the easy movement of people.
People also complain that most of the share auto drivers don’t wear uniforms, don’t display permit badges, are unkempt and their vehicles are in poor shape and unclean.
The auto union has said that despite multiple letters, the authorities are not cracking down on the illegal share autos. The union has also said that the RTO needs to start displaying fixed routes with the approved fares outside the railway station to curb this menace.
“Most of these share auto rickshaw routes to BKC are illegal. The RTO should display routes that are legal on indicators along with fares for the distance covered,” said Thampy Kurien, auto rickshaw union leader.
As per the rules, fares of share rickshaw are calculated after taking the actual fare for a particular route, multiply it by 33% and then divide it by three which determines the per seat fare.
