BENGALURU: In a city that hosts its fair share of visitors every day, it is the lack of pre -paid autorickshaws that is ruining tourist trips.
“I can never dream of taking an auto in Bengaluru for the fear of being fleeced,” says Santhos Krishna, a visitor from Thrissur. He adds that the auto drivers have been “looting” him ever since he landed in the city.
“Most of them over charge and if you ask them to put the meter on, they ask you to pay double the usual fare. This is why I prefer cabs over autos in Bengaluru,” he says.
City auto drivers have become infamous for refusing short distance rides, not following the meter and over charging.City Express took to Lal Bagh, Cubbon Park, Government museums, Ulsoor lake and Brigade road and talked to a few visitors.
Three auto drivers refused City Express a ride from Lal Bagh to MG Road with the meter on. They instead asked for Rs 150, which is almost double the fare. One driver, however, agreed for a 1/2 meter charge.
Similar is the scenarios at Cubbon Park, Brigade Road and near Government museums. The tourists hope that things change and the city gets a pre-paid auto stand soon.
It has become common among auto drivers to loot someone who is not acquainted with the city, says Thankavel M, who is visiting Cubbon Park from Chennai. “Usually one can locate a pre-paid taxi and auto counter at railway stations and bus stops in the city. Bengaluru, however, falls short there. I didn’t expect this from a metropolitan city,” he adds.
The auto drivers blame app-based taxis for eating up their revenue. “Most commuters book cabs from their phones. We hardly get any ride. Hence, we are forced to hike our fare,” says an auto driver from Cubbon Park.