The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Auto fare meter re-calibration commences

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Sunday, Aug 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Auto fare meter re-calibration commences

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: After a series of discussions between autorickshaw unions and transport department, re-calibration of digital meters in autos conforming to the new revised fares has finally commenced. But, chances of completing the process within the stipulated date appear to be bleak. The State government had issued G.O. 166 on June 13, 2008 revising minimum fare for autorickshaws from Rs. 10 to Rs. 12 for a distance of 1.6 km and Rs. 7 for every subsequent kilometre. The Government had also instructed authorities to complete re-calibration process within 90 days from June 13.

Following the orders, the Legal Metrology department has started re-calibration of digital meters at its Saidabad and Mehdipatnam centres from August 14.

On the first day, 20 autorickshaws turned up for re-calibration of which, only three meters complied with the new auto tariff. Rest of them developed snags, including poor display of prices and waiting time in the fare meters. A few auto drivers even tried to tamper the sensor, a part of the fare meter. All such meters were sent back to the manufacturers, informed Legal Metrology authorities.

Auto drivers have to get their digital meters re-calibrated at the repair centres by paying Rs. 225 and then get final stamping from the Legal Metrology department. After verification of the meter, authorities would ‘stamp it’ on payment of Rs. 50, they added. “There are only six licensed repair centres of digital meters in city, for over a lakh auto-rickshaws and roughly it takes nearly thirty minutes to re-calibrate a meter. Authorities, till now, have not given us the contact details of such repair centres,” says Mahatma Gandhi Auto Drivers Union Secretary M. Dayanand. “Our plea to extend the deadline for re-calibration of the auto fare meters was also rejected by authorities,” he added.

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Andhra Pradesh