MiD DAY questions transport official on errant autorickshaw drivers, commuter problems and new schemes

MiD DAY interviews Regional Transport Officer Chandrakant Kharatmal, as he answers questions about the harrowing transport situation in the city, the number of growing vehicular traffic and every other issue that will affect how you reach your destination.

The auto rickshaw unions have become more demanding and have reportedly rejected several government schemes like electronic-digital meters, which would have probably tackled the widespread menace of meter-tampering. Has the RTO found a golden mean to satisfy the auto drivers as well as the passengers?

Regarding electronic meters, the opposition from the auto unions has to be tackled as part of a policy decision from the state and not from the RTO. Until that happens, at my level, I either need to find a middle path to deal with the issue or continue with the existing system ensuring its smooth functioning. We also hold regular forums with consumer groups, traffic police and auto unions and discuss issues like faulty meters, overcharging of fares, refusal to ply, among others. If any auto is suspected to have a faulty meter it isu00a0immediately checked at the Alandi Road office. We also conduct meter checking on roads which are relatively free of traffic and long in length, so that the meters can be checked by our inspectors without any obstacles.