In a move that has been promised time and time again, Deputy Commissioner Belagavi Mohammad Roshan has announced a new push to enforce metered fares for autorickshaws in Belagavi. Starting next month (October 2024), all autos in the city will be required to use fare meters, a long overdue change aimed at protecting passengers from arbitrary charges. This decision was made during a meeting with the District Road Safety Committee and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) held at the DC’s office on Wednesday.
DC Roshan emphasized the importance of coordinating with the police department, regional transport authorities, and the autorickshaw drivers’ association to ensure a smooth transition to metered fares. “A joint meeting should be convened to address the practicalities of implementing this change,” he said. However, the city’s history with enforcing auto meters is filled with broken promises and stalled initiatives, which raises the question—will this time be different?
This isn’t the first time Belagavi has heard such promises. Back in 2022, then Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil made a similar announcement, stressing that autos would soon have to operate by meter. However, despite the assurance that meters would be installed and fares fixed, the initiative failed to take off. Instead, autos continued charging exorbitant rates, leaving passengers at the mercy of unpredictable fares.
In 2022, minimum fare for autorickshaws was Rs 25 per 1.5 km
The idea of streamlining auto fares dates back even further. In 2019, a prepaid auto service was launched at the Belagavi Railway Station. While this service was designed to provide fare transparency, it quickly became riddled with corruption, with passengers being charged inflated fares. The system, meant to mimic Bengaluru’s successful prepaid services, was a non-starter due to local issues, including a reluctance by authorities to enforce it properly.
2019 saw another failed attempt to enforce auto meters. Despite the best efforts of DC Dr. S B Bommanhalli and the RTO, auto drivers resisted the move, citing technical and financial difficulties. With around 6,000 autos in the city, of which only 4,000 had meters, the city faced logistical challenges in implementing the system.
One of the most egregious examples of Belagavi’s auto fare chaos occurred in 2018, when the prepaid auto booth at the Railway Station continued to issue tickets, but drivers routinely refused to follow the meter. Passengers were left stranded or forced to negotiate fares beyond what the prepaid receipt stated, and the system continued to operate in the government’s records as little more than a “monument.”
Belagavi has long struggled with auto drivers who refuse to adhere to regulations. As far back as 2017, authorities attempted to tackle the issue, but interference thwarted the efforts of officers like Javed Mushapiri, who once caught over 200 autos violating the meter rule in a single day. Despite his determination, these fines were waived, and no lasting change came from the initiative.
The battle against unruly auto drivers is nothing new to the city. In 2016, the arrival of Ola autos was met with resistance, with local drivers harassing the ride-sharing drivers. Even as technology advanced and offered new solutions, the traditional auto system in Belagavi remained mired in controversy.
Going back to 2015, the inauguration of a prepaid auto booth at the Central Bus Stand (CBT) offered a glimmer of hope. However, this, too, became another example of a failed promise. Even then, DC N Jayram had attempted to enforce meters by September, but by the end of the year, little had changed.
In a city where autorickshaw drivers have long dictated their fares, it’s hard not to be sceptical of yet another attempt to bring order to the chaos. Belagavi has heard similar promises in 2014 , 2013 , and even before. Time and again, the RTO, local government, and police have failed to break the stranglehold of auto drivers over public transport.
So, as 2024 brings yet another initiative, Belagavi’s residents are left wondering—will this be the year that auto fares by meter finally become a reality, or will history repeat itself? Only time will tell, but for now, commuters remain cautiously optimistic.
Well put & thank you Editor. .. May sound irregular: but can they think of some jointly agreed standard fares particularly from Railway Stn, CBT & outlying areas such as Mandoli Rd,, Ganeshpur, Basavan Kudachi etc to some usually required destinations such as Market, Hospitals, Schools etc… This will at least remove the element of unpredictability & the need to haggle
Still the same… no meter charged us 300 to go from ganeshpur to kle hospital. Can’t haggle as he’ll say search for other rickshaws if can’t pay. They take advantage even when going to hospital