Auto, cab drivers in Mumbai want meter recalibration deadline extended

Auto rickshaw drivers queue to get their recalibrated meters passed from the RTO on the Vikhroli highway recently. Pic/Ashish Raje

Even as the 50 per cent office attendance rule has hit the meter upgrade process in the city with auto and cab drivers at RTO offices seeking an extension to the deadline, meter repairers have been refusing to co-operate after the RTO asked them to use an app and get the process online.

At present, a large number of autos and taxis in Mumbai are plying with old meters and commuters have to depend on the new tariff card. The meters are being recalibrated as per the new tariff card, but the process has been taking time.

The Maharashtra government has given time till May 30 to recalibrate taxi and autorickshaw meters in the city. There are over 2 lakh autorickshaws and 40,000 taxis operating in the city. "These meters need to be upgraded physically. The app which we have been asked to help with, will not be able to get an authentic reading and we will be blamed later for that," Hasan bhai, a meter repairer at Andheri RTO said.

Anthony Quadros, general secretary of Mumbai Taximen's Union, said, "There have been problems. The online app option has not worked well for the meter repairers. They have disputed it and slowed down the process."

Mangesh Revankar, an auto driver said that he had gone to the RTO as per the appointment, but the entire process has slowed down as key people were absent. "The meter repairers also argue with us and we get detained here and can't do business. We will appeal to the RTO to extend the deadline if such problems go on," he said.

Shashank Sharad Rao of Mumbai Automen's Union agreed. "Check the ground realities. My sources have told me that not a single meter was recalibrated and passed since yesterday. If this continues, the deadlines will not be met," he said.

However, RTO officials said the meter recalibration was going on fine though the process had slowed down, but there were some complaints from the meter repairers and they were looking into them.