Even today, the minimum fare on an auto rickshaw in Mumbai is Rs 11 and if you give `15 to the driver, you get the balance of `4 back.
In Chennai, for a minimum distance you pay `30 after much bargaining and listening to the abuses and curses from the driver. Any balance amount to be returned is always rounded off to the nearest `10!!
If we assume 75,000 autos and they make ten trips a day and overcharge each trip by `5 - Overcharged amount per day – `37 Lakhs and its more than `136 Crores per annum. This is on a conservative assumption and the actual amount involved is multifold.
No wonder much interest is shown to rectify this issue!!
During Sep 2010, the Madras high court has given orders to the state government to regulate the auto fares. Nothing seem to have done as yet. So much respect for our judiciary systems!!
If a set of people misuse the system its called corruption and if thousands of such people misuse, its accepted and tolerated even by government and the judiciary system!!
For this single reason, I hate to visit Chennai.
Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article799375.ece
