PASSENGER CONVENIENCE: A file photo of the prepaid auto/taxi booth at Chennai Central station.

CHENNAI: State Transport Minister K.N. Nehru will inaugurate a revamped pre-paid autorickshaw system at Chennai Central Railway Station on Thursday.

State Transport Authority officials on Tuesday said long-pending demands of passengers had been taken into account to create a transparent and no-frills attached set-up.

Joint Transport Commissioner K.Yoga Rajan said: "Passengers arriving at the Central station no longer need to worry about haggling. All they have to do is go to the pre-paid autorickshaw stand, refer to the rate chart and pay the service fee of Rs.2. They will get a computerised receipt with travel details."

The tariff for the pre-paid service has been fixed at Rs.21 minimum for the first 2 km and Rs. 9 for every additional km. Reportedly, the pre-paid fare has always been 50 per cent more than the regular fare. Government officials, in consultation with auto driver unions and consumer groups, have drawn a list of 160 destinations from the station.

The fare will be fixed and the passengers will not have to pay anything "extra." For example, a passenger going to Adyar will pay a fixed fare irrespective of which street he is going to.

Chennai Central Railway Station Auto Drivers and Commuters Welfare Society, one of the eight drivers unions that have been active at the station, will run the service. They have promised to give all autorickshaws from the city a free access to the system.

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