When you think of Chennai, the first things that come to your head – weather, language & auto drivers. Every journey of mine used to end looking forward to bargaining with auto drivers at Central station. “Sir, where do you want to go?” an eager auto-driver would ask, sensing his prey. “How much would it cost?” I’d ask with the teeny weeny hope of finding an honest auto driver someday. The reply would almost always range between 250 to the outrageously high 400.
With the general averse-ness to meters, I was really curious to see how the recent government order mandating meters in Chennai would work. My initial thought was that it would go down the drain like most previous attempts. But boy, they seem to have done their homework real well this time.
I was at the bus-stand today, and called for an auto; who came over. “Meter?” I enquired. “No sir, not working. I’ve given it for repair. You tell me, how much are you willing to pay, we’ll go.”
Two more autos passed. One asked for 20 more than the meter, quoting the usual excuse of a one-way on the way back. The other didn’t have a meter. “Sir, government has themselves given us time for implementation. What is your problem? Wait for it to get implemented,” he told me. With growing frustration, I thought I’d give it a go and started, “70?”
An old uncle behind me who saw my struggle walked up. “What pa. You look educated. From here to KK Nagar will cost about 50! Don’t trust these fellows. They’ll tell you the meter won’t work, and once you climb in, they’ll turn it on so that they don’t get caught by the police.”
Post a ten minute wait, an auto-driver came up to me. “Where do you want to go?” I replied and asked him how much it would cost. He silently pointed at the meter, and asked me to get in.
And then, I decided I was never going in an auto without a meter ever again. After all the posturing about terrible Chennai autos, I still see plenty of people bargaining with auto drivers with a meter. Or at times, travel in autos without a meter. If people refuse to get into autos that don’t have a meter, wouldn’t the auto guys be forced to get a meter fitted; or suffer from a lack of business?
As long as there are people who still take the auto at the quoted rates, there would remain auto drivers gaming the system, like the ones who run the meter for the heck of it, to escape the policeman’s watch.
While the government will do its part to implement the change or any change for that matter, the old uncle today taught me an important lesson. There are gaps. But the ball is in our court.
Do your bit as well.