In Chennai, more than 2000 autos to get GPS enabled fare meters
Posted on: 20/Sep/2019 10:01:00 AM
People using autorickshaws in Chennai would feel relieved now. It is known that many auto drivers fleece the passengers in Chennai city by overcharging and the passengers find it very difficult. Soon this issue won’t be there for the passengers.
It is now revealed that more than 2000 autorickshaws having active permits would get free GPS enabled fare meters as promised by the government. This was confirmed by a senior transport department official. Point is a pilot program of electronic auto fare meter would be introduced in Thiruvanmiyur.
The senior officer then explained about how the purchase of 2000 meters was completed and how these meters are now getting calibrated by the state legal metrology department. He concluded that a formal launch would be carried out soon after testing.
It was in the year 2012 this project of fitting GPS enabled digital fare meters with printers in 43000 autos in Chennai at a cost of Rs 109 crores was announced. It must be noted that tenders were canceled 2 times and only in 2018 the tenders were finalized. Rosmerta Technologies of Delhi got the contract to manufacture these meters and monitor them. At Anna Nagar in Chennai, the control center to monitor these autos through GPS was set up is known.
It was pointed out by a source that trial run was carried out on a handful of autos and efficiency has improved now. Information collected is the government could revise auto fares by making changes in the software used to monitor fares.
The important piece of news is the auto drivers would not be able to tamper with these meters at any point in time. The control center would get an alert immediately if any auto driver attempts to tamper with these meters. It is worthy to note that after detailed study Tiruvanmiyur was chosen to implement the project on a pilot basis. Once calibration gets over, the meters would be installed in 10 to 15 autos in Chennai every day.
It is now brought out that the RTO is in the process of identifying eligible auto drivers as only those who registered their vehicle before August 2013 could get these meters for free and other auto drivers to have to purchase the meters from the market. It is known that in August 2013 the GO was issued in connection with this project. Some auto drivers spoke about how the GPS enabled digital meter costs Rs 8000 to Rs 15000 and how they won’t be able to buy the meters.
