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The mode of operation varies as per the whims and fancies of our dear drivers. After 9 p.m. it’s one-and-a-half times the meter fare reading which is totally understandable but at dawn they start asking three to four times the fare; no meter-fixed charges. I can’t deduce any logic behind this deal. During holidays, they reap very little in the early mornings. And this our dear AWs compensate by getting more during the late hours of the evening. I remember some tourists cursing the tampered meters and talking of instances of the meter getting “stuck” — these are the usual scenes. If these are the problems people face within the city, in the outskirts the story is not different.

Here, the minimum charge starts at Rs. 50 — reason being that AWs gets customers only from afternoon and so on. No one apparently takes the autos in the mornings!

Another question I hear very often as a software engineer is: “Why are you fighting for Rs. 30? You software engineers get paid like anything.” It’s high time that all people in the city got together and fought against this menace. These AWs will probably not even be adversely affected by the various one lakh-rupee cars available.

They take pride in the vehicle that is fancied by the Angelina Jolies and Brad Pitts of the world and almost all visiting queens, who want to take pictures riding in them. All AWs must undergo compulsory hospitality training at least.