VELLORE: The Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum has urged the State government to introduce fare meters for autorickshaws plying in the Fort City in order to make them more passenger- friendly.
In a statement, honorary secretary of the forum P S Subramanian said the autodrivers in the city have been demanding exorbitant fare for even a short distance travel. Heavy fine for violations should also be followed, he added.
Subramanian said the NGOs and other consumers had made several complaints to the district authorities regarding the fleecing by the autodrivers but no action had been taken so far.
The fare was the same for other localities as well. The share-autos had also increased the fare unreasonably, he said.
In order to make more money, they were overloading the autos with more passengers, resulting in unsafe conditions.
The forum, while opposing the hike announced in the petroleum products by the Modi government, pointed out that it had become a standard reason for the autos to demand more fare.
The forum also demanded that the fare meters should be fixed for all autos without further delay.
The district authorities here should convene a meeting of autodrivers, NGOs and consumers, to enforce the fare meter system on the lines of what had been done in Chennai.