Auto: Kitna Lega

Whenever I have to travel by a auto rickshaw in Belgaum, my blood pressure rises and I start feeling uncomfortable.

It has been from the day it started that there are no meters in the autos, if they are there is no use of it. The auto drivers can ask just any amount. Now you tell me how much should I pay from Railway Station to 1st gate? It should be the minimum (now we don’t even know what is the minimum fare) but the auto fellow will say Rs.25. You have just come from traveling, tired and wanting to reach home and you meet this fellow in front of you. You start top bargain and say 25 is too much I will pay 15, he refuses and no one else also on the auto stand obliges to come. Then atlast you say forget it 25, its ok come lets go.

How many of you have gone through something like this. Tell me frankly. Everyone must have gone through this. There is one nice PRE PAID Auto booth made in the railway station only, which is not operational for want of efforts of the authorities, I guess. If that is the case why was it built first of all?

If you don’t ask what he will charge you before sitting in the auto, then its all over do what ever you want complain to the police or do anything, you will have to pay what the driver asks for. If you start to fight with the driver some other driver come for his rescue and all together will fall on you only. If you still insist to fight or say will call the police they say Bindas saab, phone karo kuch nahi hoga. Now what can be done in this case?

I have seen Belgaum only for 30 odd years but I haven’t seen any day or any officer who comes (RTO I think) who has imposed the meter on the auto very strongly. I think nobody has the guts to do it, whenever a new officer comes he says he will do it but he is transferred and still nothing is done and the new one repeats history.

When will the day arise when we Belgaumites will pay auto fares by meter? A true dream-to-dream isn’t it.