[Resolved]  Auto Rickshaw — Faulty Rickshaw Meters

It is very common these days to come across rickshaws with tampered meters. Though the rickshaw drivers dont acknowledge that they have actually tampered with the meters, they eventually accept the correct fare that is given to them.

However there are a few who dont accept it. I came across one such rickshaw driver (Vehicle registration no. MH 03 AK 3865) in Bandra. I had taken the Rickshaw from Bandra station (West) to go to Turner Road junction near Pot Pourri where I had to pick up a document from one of my clients and then back to Bandra station. When I reached my clients place I felt that the meter was a little fast. I regularly visit this client and know that the charge is Rs.10 to reach there from bandra station. In this case however the meter was reading Rs.13. I went up into the building, took the documents without going inside the house and came down within a minute, during which time the meter was reading Rs.17. I got inside and started for Bandra station. We would have covered 200 metres and the meter was now reading Rs.22.

This meter was definitely tampered with and when I told the rickshaw driver that his meter was running too fast and I will not pay him according to this faulty meter he stopped the rickshaw and refused to go ahead. I told him that he can take the rickshaw to RTO or police station and we will see if the meter is working properly. To this he flatly refused and started abusing me and saying things like "Aukat nahi hai to Rickshaw mein kyon baithte ho" and also started swearing obscenities.

Finally I paid him the money, took down his registration number and walked more than half the distance to the station.

Such elements of the society take advantage of the customers with the knowledge that the educated people would not want to create a scene on the streets. I seriously want this guy to be brought to task.