Bangalore Traffic Police (BTP) on Wednesday introduced a rating system for auto drivers to reign in drivers who repeatedly refuse to go on hire or demand excess fares.
An app ‘Happy Auto,’ launched by the BTP, will enable users to provide feedback on their auto experience. The police will give stickers saying ‘Sugama Savaari’ (comfortable ride) to auto drivers with the best feedback.
The app was launched on Wednesday at Cubbon park by actor Sudeep.
Sudeep said auto drivers should treat tourists well so that they praise our city. Most people first step into an autorickshaw as soon as they arrive in the city, and the initial experience is the most important. You should treat them well and not demand excess fare.”
Sudeep appealed to auto-drivers to not refuse passengers and said that one such refusal resulted in the loss of a life: “A middle-aged woman in Puttenahalli near my house needed medical help in the night. Her neighbours tried to shift her to a nearby hospital, but none of the drivers at the nearby auto- stand agreed to take her. By the time they took her in a four-wheeler, she died on the way,” he said.
“Such incidents should be a lesson for all of us. So do not refuse to take passengers to the destination they desire,” he said.
Police Commissioner Raghavendra H Auradkar said auto drivers play a key role in the city’s transportation system. It is the responsibility of auto drivers to ferry passengers safely to their destinations, he advised. Additional Commissioner of Police Traffic B Dayananda said the app was available on the Google Play store. Autos sporting the ‘Sugama Savaari’ sticker indicate that the autorickshaw is safe to travel anywhere in the city, the BTP said.