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We'd asked you, dear readers to share your experience about taxis and autorickshaws in India.
Here are some of the responses we received. You can share yours too.
Hari Krishna from Trivandrum shares his experience:
I am living in Trivandrum since January 2016. Before my arrival, I had good opinion about Kerala and the same evaporated within short time.
Here the situation is very strange and irritating. People are either used to the situation or have given up hope.
The conditions in Thiruvananthapuram are:
1. Majority auto drivers (except a few honest ones) will not give the balance amount i.e. if the auto charge is Rs 42 and you tender a Rs 50 note, the driver will not return the balance Rs 8.
If you demand the balance money, he will say something in Mayalayam or give you some flimsy reason: no change, one way, U-turn, high petrol and diesel rates, heavy traffic, no return business.
In a month, if you travel by auto 20 times on an average (to and fro) you may end up losing at least Rs 5 per trip which comes to Rs 100 a month and Rs 1,200 in a year.
2. If you give exact change as per meter, this also annoys many auto drivers.
3. After 7.30 pm, the auto rates are doubled. In other states, it may be after 11.00 pm or 12.00 am. At 6.00 am too you have to wait longer to hire an auto at regular fare.
4. Language is another problem. Only few auto drivers speak either Hindi or English. People from other states who come to work in the city face this problem.
Liladhar from Mumbai shares an interesting experience:
It was 4.30 in the morning and it was raining heavily.
I was waiting outside Tata Hospital where I had come along with my wife and 14-month old kid who was undergoing a treatment at the hospital.
We saw passengers getting out of kaali peeli taxi at the gate. We asked him whether he would come to Kandivali and he happily agreed.
I boarded the taxi and took a seat next to the driver. I saw one diary between the two front seats.
I asked him whether some executive had forgotten the diary in his cab. He said that it was his diary. 'I maintain a list of my customers, their contact numbers and details of travel,' he told me.
As the conversation progressed, he received a call at 5 am. The caller requested him to come to New Bombay at 6.30 pm.
The communication went on and I came to know that he never has had to keep his car waiting. Due to the quality of service he offers, he gets calls from all parts of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
I reminded him about the Swabhiman Union declared strike the next day and asked him how he would take his passenger after 6.30. He told me he had two cars -- one normal kaali peeli and a tourist car. Despite heavy rains I reached home safely and in time.
Dear Readers,
What's your experience been like with auto and taxi drivers been?
Do you get rides at first request? How do you deal with arrogant drivers?
Do you think cab operators like Ola and Uber are better alternatives in your locality?
Share your views and experiences, good and bad with us. Write to getahead@rediff.co.in (subject: Auto and Taxi Woes) along with your NAME, AGE and the place you LIVE in. We'll publish the best ones right here on Rediff.com.
Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Rediff Archives