Mumbai: Auto mafia sets its own rate card in Bandra

A poster on the rate of shared auto rickshaws put up by the auto mafia at Bandra station premises

Left unchecked, the auto rickshaw mafia has now started printing their own tariff cards for shared autos. Commuters at Bandra station were surprised to see the rate card, which had a logo resembling that of the Maharashtra Regional Transport Department, at the station premises on Thursday. The poster has mentioned rates of shared autos from the station to prominent destinations such as the Diamond Company, ICICI Bank, Bandra-Kurla Complex, etc. The rate has been set at Rs 20 for each passenger with the exception of heavy traffic situations in evenings when auto drivers can charge Rs 30, as per the poster.

Mahesh Kawte, a daily commuter, said, "We do not know if the rates have been endorsed by the local traffic police or not. However, given the situation outside Bandra station in the east, autos are the most preferred option as buses are late and crowded. In addition, the auto drivers block all entry gates of the station. These guys are charging R20, which is fine, but they said that they would charge Rs 30 in the evening."

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"Despite what's written in the poster, most of them drive rashly and charge Rs 30. The police and RTO should look into this and take action against them," said Rajanai Iyer, another commuter from BKC. A V Shenoy, senior transport expert with Mumbai Mobility Forum and Mumbai Vikas Samiti, said, "This is an indication of the absolute lack of governance in Mumbai in this sector. Such attempts need to be tackled at the earliest." When alerted about this, Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar assured mid-day that he would initiate action. "Thanks for bringing this to notice. We will take action," he said.