Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
Cameraperson: Sravya MG and Sumit Badola
Having steered many a bus in Andhra Pradesh, Inderjit Singh migrated to Delhi in the late 1990s. Young and hopeful, Singh took to driving an auto – one that he hoped would steer the wheels of fortune in the right direction. Back then, life was a little easy and Singh would manage to save Rs 3,000 every month.
Today, at the age of 65, Singh hasn’t retired from the wheels. Ask him why, and he responds saying, “no bank balance, sir.”
Singh is among the many auto drivers in Delhi, who on certain occasions, refuse to go by the meter – a situation that has led to endless brawls and has been the subject of deep discontent among Delhi’s restless commuters.
But why do most auto drivers refuse to go by the meter? The Quint took a few rides across Delhi, to arrive at an answer to this burning question.
Ride Number 1: From CP to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara
In order to verify whether auto drivers really refuse to go by the meter, we approached over ten of them in Delhi’s Connaught Place. Out of these ten, over seven autos refused to go by the meter to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and asked for over Rs 40 for the same ride.
We asked Shiv, one of the drivers who refused to go by the meter as to why he and others charged almost double the amount, for a short distance. He agreed to talk, only if we took a ride, and so we hopped into his auto.
Shiv says its easier to get passengers from Connaught Place in Central Delhi, since it’s a hub of shoppers as well as office goers. Auto drivers charge extra for a ride from CP to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Shiv explains, as they often have to wait for a long time to get passengers.
To test his claims, we decided to stand by his auto for ten minutes, after getting down at the gurudwara. Unable to find a passenger during that time, Shiv said, “This happens very often.”
I’ve been standing here for ten minutes. But I haven’t found a passenger so far. Although there’s no proper auto stand here, autos have lined up. If the traffic cop shows up, we’ll have to move away from this place. This is why we charge more and don’t go by the meter.Shiv, Auto driver
Kejriwal’s Promise of Hike in Auto Fares Not Enough?
In Delhi, auto fares haven’t increased in the last five years. This means since 2013, auto fares have been stagnant at Rs 25 for the first two kilometres and thereafter at Rs 8 per kilometre.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, often hailed as a hero by auto drivers, recently promised to hike auto fares in Delhi. Kejriwal made this promise after speaking to vexed auto drivers during a surprise visit to the transport authority’s office in north Delhi’s Burari.
But the city’s autowalas say a mere increase in fares is not going to be enough and have been demanding changes to the waiting charges rule. At present, meters apply waiting charges only after an auto has spent over 15 minutes waiting in the course of a trip.
So, if during a journey from Khan Market to Connaught Place an auto gets stuck in traffic thrice for five minutes each, the time spent waiting will not be chargeable.
However, if during the same trip, the auto’s total waiting time exceeds 15 minutes, it’ll be chargeable. The waiting time is calculated by the meter, which kicks in every time an auto halts in the course of a ride.
Ride Number 2: CP to Red Fort
Since most auto drivers The Quint spoke to blamed the unaccounted 15 minutes spent waiting in traffic as a reasonable ground for refusing to go by the meter, we decided to take a ride from Connaught Place to Red Fort at about 5 pm.
Refusing to go by the meter, Suresh, our auto driver this time, asked us for Rs 100. When asked why he was asking for extra money, Suresh said he would have to wait for over 15-20 minutes in traffic, for which he won’t receive any extra money on a metered ride. We agreed to pay him the amount and hopped in, but asked for the meter to be switched on.
Our journey to Red Fort lasted some 20 minutes, during which we only halted in traffic for five minutes in total. By the time we reached our destination, the auto had traveled a total distance of 5.5 kilometres and the fare displayed on the meter stood at Rs 53.
Since the total waiting time was just five minutes, we asked Suresh why he had charged almost double the fare? He said he would have to wait for 30-45 minutes before he could get his next passenger and had charged extra keeping that in mind.
At Red Fort, we had waited with Suresh for just about 20 minutes when he found a ride to Mehrauli. We asked him the question again. Why did he overcharge us?
I would have had to stand wait here for an hour if I didn’t get this ride.Suresh, Auto driver
Stagnant Fares Leave Autowalas Broke
On our way back to Connaught Place, we took a ride with Vijay, who agreed to charge us according to the meter without begrudging it. When asked why other auto drivers overcharge on the pretext of traffic jams, Vijay said, “because of some, all auto drivers are looked down upon.”
Waiting for rides, Vijay added, is integral to their work. If they keep moving, some passenger or the other will ask for a ride.
However, stagnant fares, rising operational costs and a general rise in expenses have robbed many, like Inderjit Singh of a chance of having a decent bank balance.
His monthly income varies between Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000. Out of this, about Rs 2,000 to 2,500 is spent on CNG and about Rs 7,500 on the EMI paid for the auto. After this, he’s only left with about Rs 7, 500 with for family expenses.
I haven’t been able to keep any bank balance. How will I get my children married? At times, I have to borrow money to get a new uniform stitched. I often borrow money for other expenses.Inderjit Singh, Auto driver
‘The Menace of Ola & Uber’
Although, according to sources, Chief Minister Kejriwal has promised to increase the base fare for autos to Rs 25 for the first kilometre and thereafter Rs 10 per kilometre, the move may do more harm than good to the capital’s embattled auto drivers.
Auto drivers claim the advent of cab companies like Ola and Uber has severely dented their business, as most passengers prefer cabs, which often offer cheaper rates than autos. Most claim their businesses have dwindled as most long rides have now gone to taxi aggregators.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)