In what could be music to the ears of thousands of autorickshaw drivers across the State, the Madras High Court has directed the State Government to revise their fares in view of rising petrol and diesel prices.
Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy have ordered the creation of a mechanism through which the fluctuation in fuel prices could automatically reflect in the determination of autorickshaw fares.
The judges said the government could explore the possibilities of creating a software through which the fares could be revised in real time depending on the rise or fall in fuel prices, so that not only the drivers benefit but also the passengers.
The directions were issued while disposing of a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate S.V. Ramamurthy for implementation of a 2013 Government Order relating to the installation of fare meters in all autorickshaws.
Advocate General (A-G) R. Shunmugasundaram told the court that electronic meters had been installed in all autorickshaws and that periodical checks were also being conducted to penalise those who had not fixed such meters.
The government was also working on equipping the meters with a global positioning system (GPS). The A-G, however, said the fare meters had not been attached with printers to provide receipts, because they were a bit expensive.
On the other hand, the petitioner complained to the court that the autorickshaw drivers invariably demanded higher charges than what was due to them, and the government should devise a mechanism similar to Ola & Uber.
After hearing both sides, the judges ordered that all autorickshaws be fitted with electronic meters to be operated while transporting passengers. Periodical checks must be conducted to ensure strict compliance. The process of fixing the GPS should also be speeded up.
As far as equipping the fare meters with printers for issuing receipts was concerned, the judges refrained from issuing an immediate direction since it appeared to be an expensive affair. "But as and when it is available, the State could even provide printers to generate the bills," the Bench said.
